


Dancing in a Snow Globe

by likeromeoandjuliet



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: A lot of tropes, Also they might smoke weed every once in a while, Best Friends to Lovers, Blissful bunnies completely unaware of how much of a couple they are, F/M, Roomates AU, So sorry to anyone who has a problem with that, Too many tropes, oh my god they were roomates, they cute tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-24 23:41:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20367031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeromeoandjuliet/pseuds/likeromeoandjuliet
Summary: Betty and Jughead have been best friends since diapers. Now they’re about to officially get their master’s degree, officially done with school, about to enter a new chapter of their lives. It’s all working out perfectly. They live together, they’re successful people and they’re happy.The only problem though?They still haven’t told their family they aren’t dating, have never actually dated and that they’ve been lying to them since they were sixteen.Also, there might be some benefits to their friendship.OrAll the tropes, but like...backwards?





	1. Hold You Here, My Loveliest Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! New Story alert here! Read it and tell me if you think I should go for it! Meanwhile, I promise to finish all my unfinished storied! Promise! Tell me what you think please!
> 
> All the Love xx

Betty Cooper was beginning to think she had made a really big mistake by going to graduate school, she could’ve just finished college and gone on with her life. If there was any way to describe the day she’d just had, she’d say the worst, the absolute worst from start to finish. It started badly, as it is. She had woken up, accidentally knocked off her coffee mug, resulting in it spilling on her nice blouse which consequently made her late to class. Then as if to make matters worse, she had gotten a B- on an assignment she had worked immensely hard for. It normally wouldn’t piss her off so much, but she hated her professor and she had worked for it, stayed up late, pulled all-nighters to make sure it was perfect and then she gets a goddamn B-?! It’s not even a bad grade, but it’s less than any other she’d got and then the professor really had to rub it in her face, never mind that the only published writer in the room is named Betty Cooper, not Professor Adams. The world was getting on her nerves and she was already stressed with the finals coming up. 

‘Do we have wine at home?’ She texts Jughead, immediately getting a phone call. She chuckles softly, seeing his face light up her screen. 

“Is it an ice-cream, wine and pizza night or just wine?” Jughead questions, as soon as she answers the phone. 

“Just wine. No ice-cream necessary.” 

“Oh, thank god! Can I get a pizza anyway though? There’s nothing in our fridge and I’m guessing we are not leaving the apartment tonight?” 

“Most definitely not.” She answers. 

“Alright then. I’m already home. Where are you?” He questions. 

“Almost there. See you in a bit?”

“Yeah, Betts.”

She smiles to herself. She’s lucky to have him. To have always had him in her life. Her ultimate best friend and partner in crime. She’s known Jughead since she was baby. Their families have been friends since before high school, and she doesn’t remember not knowing him. Their presence in each other’s lives has never wavered, the way they love each other, the way they support each is even fiercer than before. From kindergarten to graduate school.

And Graduation is almost here. She’d never would’ve thought they’d be college graduates together, living together. Best friends since diapers, now actually finishing school and starting real life, still as close, perhaps even closer. Family, she’d say. He’d say she’s his soulmate, always there, bound for life, yet as much as some people liked to suggest, not his lover.

As soon as she sets foot inside the apartment, her whole body relaxes, knowing that it’s home. “Jug?” She calls out, taking her shoes off and hanging her coat.

“Kitchen!” He’s humming along to a song that’s playing off the speaker, as he gets glasses from the cupboard, the bottle of wine on the counter.

“Hey.” She smiles, as she steps into the kitchen. He smiles back, the same beautiful grin of his that always calms her down ever since they were kids, it’s always so genuine when he smiles at her, so much so, that she knows when there’s something wrong. She can read Jughead Jones like a book. And he can read her. So, she never hides anything from him, and he never hides from her. 

He opens his arms and she wastes no time, wrapping herself around him, feeling herself get enveloped by warmth and safety, feeling better at home. “I’m not going to ask how your day went, so wine?”

She nods, sighing. “Please.”

“The pizza should be here any minute so pizza and wine first, then I’ll draw you a bath, with more wine, of course.” He says as he pours her a glass of wine, before pouring one for himself.

“You’re an angel, Juggie.” 

He shrugs. “You’d do the same for me, Betts.” He places a kiss on her forehead.

By the time pizza arrives, they’re engrossed in a conversation about Jughead’s workplace that entails a very strange description of a famous celebrity and the awful encounter with the newest intern there. Jughead writes for a magazine. Him and Betty are taking their master’s degree in journalism. Jughead was however, absent from today’s class due to an assignment for the magazine so he missed out on the shit show that had caused Betty’s mood.

“Sorry I wasn’t there today.” 

“Please.” She scoffs. “Like you wanted to be there listening to Old Adams.”

“You’re right.” He grins. “So, now that the pizza is done, bath?” She stands up, nodding her head.

“Will you join me?”

A smirk appears on his face. “Do you want me to join you?” 

“I could use something to take the edge off.” 

“Then I guess I will be taking something else off.”

“Clean this up. I’ll be waiting, Jones.” She winks before disappearing into the hallway. 

Ever since they were sixteen years old, Betty and Jughead’s friendship had certain…benefits. It all began when Betty asked him to take her virginity. She had decided that he was the only one she trusted and loved enough to do it. Her best friend. And she wanted it to happen. So, she asked him. And he had said yes. So, on a weekend, with her parents away at some conference, in her pink bedroom, with nervous touch and eyes glazed with lust, they had been each other’s firsts and from then on, it just continued. They began to get acquainted with each other’s bodies, knowing where to touch, where to kiss so until now, save from whenever they’re in a relationship, they have sex. When they started living with each other, it reached a new level. They like sex and they are good at it too, especially with each other, so why not? And that’s all it is, so they have their fun. 

The only thing that backfired during their sexual relationship was Alice Cooper. When they were seventeen years old and Betty thought they had hours until her mom got home, they were being rather loud so the chance of hearing the front door open and close was slim. Too lost in each other to notice, Alice had burst into Betty’s room and caught her daughter and Jughead Jones in a very compromising situation. They had expected Alice to be mad, literally anything but the huge smile that had greeted them when they climbed down the stairs after putting their clothes on. Alice was happy that they were “dating”. Jughead could see her planning their lives as they sat on the couch. And then, before Jughead could actually tell her that it wasn’t the case, Betty had stepped in, confirming that they were. 

Alice and Hal had been in a pretty rough divorce that had left them saddened, more so Alice had been heartbroken and Betty hadn’t seen her that happy about anything in the whole year since the divorce, so they decided to keep up the lie for a while and then they’d “break up” and everything would go back to normal. The problem was that as time went by, they got in deeper and by the time college came around, they had rented an apartment together. So, to their close family, they were in a very serious relationship. Now they were definitely too deep in the lie, so they decided that when either of them found themselves in a relationship that was serious enough for them to move out or if they decided to move out on their own, they’d stage a break up that wasn’t dramatic, they’d say that they’re better off friends and Christmas and every other holiday would be safe forever. They’d pretend until then. 

*

He laughs softly. “Betts, we have to be up early tomorrow.” He tells her.

“No. It’s still early.” She whines. “More sex.” She smirks.

“You’re insatiable, Elizabeth.” He shakes his head. “But how will I say no?” She throws a leg over him straddling him. “Good lord, you’ll be the death of me.” She presses her lips to him roughly. She begins to grind against him, making his breath hitch, his ache for her growing. There’s not much foreplay going on tonight, he guesses their foreplay had been in the bathroom because she’s eager, ready for him, again.

“I need you in me.” She mumbles against his lips and he nods, removing his boxers. Pushing into her feels like heaven and just in the moment where he’s getting lost in her, the view of her from below, her phone rings. “Fuck, don’t stop.” They ignore it, it rings again. “Come on.” She groans, reaching for the phone on the bedside table. “It’s my mom. This woman needs to learn better timing.” She sighs. “We’ll ignore that.”

“What if it’s important?” He questions.

“Jones, why do you have to make me panic about things? You have me naked on top of you, let’s ignore her.” She throws the phone onto the bed, pressing her lips to his again. The phone rings once more and Jughead gives her a look. “Fine.” She sighs and he grieves the loss of contact the minute she gets off him. “Hi, mom.”

“Hi, honey. FaceTime?” Betty rolls her eyes, knowing it was no use fighting her. She ends the call and waits for her mother to call on FaceTime. “Told you it wasn’t important.” Betty tells Jughead and he laughs softly as he puts his boxers on, and she throws on a t shirt. “And here we go.” She sighs, accepting the FaceTime call. 

“Ooh, you’re here, Jug. Did I interrupt something?” Alice smirks, teasing.

“Well, actually- “Betty hits Jughead’s chest, stopping him from completing whatever was about to come out of his mouth. 

“What is it? Everything okay?” Betty questions.

“Oh, everything’s fine, sweetie. I was just calling to tell you the whole family going to your graduation, we’re very excited and we thought we would stay for the weekend.” 

Betty gulps, forcing a smile at her mother. “The whole family? That’s great-“

“And we are staying at a hotel, down the street to your apartment.”

“Listen-“ She starts.

“Gladys and I already have plans for a spa day with you and JB.” Alice tells her, clearly excited, grinning at the two of them. “It’s going to be wonderful to spend the weekend with you two!”

Cue the dread.

*

Their week is busy, between work and school, they barely have time to breathe so Betty had decided to have a few of the girls, plus Kevin over while Jughead went out for a few beers with Archie, the latter seemingly eager to discuss a topic that undoubtedly had to do with either girls, his music career or his football career. Archie never really figured out where he stood between music and football. So, he plays football, having been scouted by a local team and then he plays gigs everywhere, from little bars to weddings. The sappy songs mixed with his all-American looks are seemingly enough to make girls swoon. And Archie’s never been one to complain about such things. 

By the time the girls, plus Kevin, arrive at Betty and Jughead’s apartment, Jughead is still getting ready to leave to meet Archie. When he gets out of his room, wine is already served and they’re all sat around the living room, chatting animatedly. 

“Hey, guys!” Jughead greets, receiving smiles as he crosses the living room, putting on his jacket.

“I’ll see you later, Betts.” He gets to her place, behind the couch and presses a kiss to her head. “Have a good night and do spill the tea.”

“Please don’t say stuff like that. It sounds terrible out of you, Jones.” Kevin winces, taking a sip of his glass of wine. 

“Always a pleasure, Kevin Keller.” Jughead grins, as he makes his way to the door.

“Be safe. Call me if anything happens, Jug!” Betty calls out as he’s leaving. When she looks back at their friends, they’re staring at her. “What?” She questions. 

“I still can’t understand your relationship.” Veronica comments. 

“What about it?” 

“It’s just weird! We get it, you’re best friends and you’ve known each other since diapers, but you’re so connected, like soulmates, watching you two is like looking at an old married couple. And you’re so touchy feely.”

Betty sighs. “We’ve been over this. It’s not like that with us. We’re just…us.”

“He has seen you naked, though, right?” Toni questions. 

“Even I’d hit that.” Cheryl shrugs, both Veronica and Toni nod, agreeing with it.

“If I ever chose to have an experience, same.” Kevin adds and Betty furrows her brows.

“Are you all trying to get in my pants right now?” Their blonde friend questions and the group dissolves into laughter. 

Veronica waves her off. “Besides the point, Bettykins. I feel betrayed, Kevin Keller. You wouldn’t have a hot Latina like yours truly as your first?”

“Guys, let’s get into that later, back to our original question!” Toni interrupts.

Betty smirks, laughing softly. “To answer your question, yes, we’re…you know, perfectly fine with each other’s nakedness.” If only they knew and although Betty wouldn’t mind telling them about her and Jughead’s sexual relationship, she knows they’d get on her case about it and Jughead’s too much of a private person to let anyone in their friend group know, except for Archie. 

“Do tell, Elizabeth, how is he?” Kevin smiles mischievously. 

She was in for a night. 

*

“So, I met this girl,”

Oh yes, the start to an obvious Archie story. Jughead has stopped counting hearing the exact same phrase followed by: ‘it’s different this time’. Archie Andrews isn’t a player, per se, he just falls in and out of love quite easily and he breaks things off or the girls do. He likes to write sappy songs about them and he takes them on a dreamy date because he really does want to impress and please them, but gradually over the course of one or two (a maximum of three, the record) things fall apart and in come the sad songs, sent to Jughead’s phone at two in the morning. 

He met Archie Andrews with Betty Cooper on the playground at Riverdale Elementary. Him and Betty had each other’s backs that day, throws to the lions, with sticky fingers, mean kids circling the weakest pray. Archie had been sitting alone, on the playground that very first day and Betty, ever the kindest person he’d ever met, decided that they had to be friends with the lonesome redheaded boy. Betty had shared her cookies with both of them and ever since that day, Archie has always been his friend. Now girls didn’t have cooties, there was no Pop’s and the treehouse in Archie’s backyard had fallen a couple of years ago. They had jobs now and Riverdale was still there, but they were in the big city. And the tree house had been replaced with Betty and Jughead’s apartment. 

“Here we go.” Jughead chuckles taking a sip of his beer. 

“Jug, she’s brilliant.” Archie grins. “She’s a singer, her name’s Josie and I just…I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“When did you meet her?”

“A couple of months ago, at this gig. We started really talking a month ago and I still haven’t properly asked her out.”

“Oh, that’s a while ago, you didn’t mention it.” Jughead notes, now a tiny bit intrigued by Archie’s giddiness. “So, are you going to?”

“Yeah, tomorrow. We’re performing at the same bar.” Archie grins at his best friend. “God, I could go on and on about her, man. She’s perfect. Beautiful, talented, smart and she’s funny, I can’t stop laughing with her.”

Jughead smiles at his friend. He doesn’t comment on how this time, it actually sounds different, the way he talks about her. When he tells Betty, she’ll be thrilled. 

“When are you getting a girl?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t really have the time. Besides it’s not like I’m not getting laid, so I’m good.”

Archie’s nose crunches. “Ew, no don’t. I can’t handle that!” He whines.

Jughead grins, amused at his power over torturing his best friend. “It’s sex, Archie. Very good sex.”

“Good lord, I wanna die. It’s like imagining your parents having sex. You two are like my brother and sister, please stop.” Jughead laughs, shaking his head. 

“The whole family is coming to visit at graduation.” He tells his friend. Archie winces, laughing amusedly. Archie is the only one who knows about him and Betty, admittedly he had caught them making out in his basement and it probably would’ve escalated had Archie not shown up earlier than they expected. To Archie, they explained what they were and since then Archie had helped them out of a few situations and was an ally when it came to their families. 

“That’s gonna be fun. Is Alice still onto you about putting a ring on it?” 

Jughead groans. “God, it’s unbearable. Also, the new topic seems to be grandchildren. So, it’s great. She wants me to impregnate her daughter. It was a lovely fourth of July for me.” 

“Ouch. You guys have got to figure out a way out of that. You know, it’s not exactly unexpected that she’s talking about that stuff. For her, you’ve been dating for years. A decade basically. It’s pretty normal, I guess.”

“You’re right, we do. We just haven’t found a way to do it or the right time. You can’t exactly be sat at the Christmas table and say hey, we broke up, sorry, no grandkids for now!” 

“Yeah, you guys dug yourselves in deep.” Archie comments, chuckling. “You’re lucky you live here now. Imagine how hard it would be if any of you dated anyone back in the town with Pep.”

“A goddamn nightmare.” Jughead scoffs. 

“You know, it’s miracle you’ve been able to date other people at all.”

Jughead furrows his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that everyone can see how close you are, and you live together. You guys stop that whenever you’re seeing someone else, but doesn’t that person ever question your relationship? Adam found out, right?”

“Betty told him, because she thought it’d be fine and she wanted to be open about everything with him, but he got pissed and then a couple weeks later, they broke up.” The dark-haired man explains very simply, pausing to think about it. “But Betty and I…we’re best friends, it’s not like there’s those type of feelings, we just happen to have fun.” He shrugs. “And I understand that it’d make people we date uncomfortable but we’re not just gonna stop or ignore it happened, you know?”

“Would you stop?”

“If we find someone?”

“Not just that, but in the future even if you’re not dating anyone? It can’t go on forever, right?” 

Right.

As much as he tries, he can’t get what Archie said out of his mind. And as certain as he is about most things about her, this is a strange thing to think about. That one day, they’d stop. He had never thought about it. Betty would always be in his life. They were adults now, with serious jobs and a life to live. Of course, eventually, they’d have to let it go, as good and as fun as it was. They didn’t have sex whenever the other was seeing someone, obviously but usually neither of them dated other people for long so when a relationship fell apart, they’d gone right back to safety. And it was freaking good. They knew each other perfectly well and they were more comfortable with each other than with anyone else. And Jughead knew it was because they’d known each other for so long, significant others just needed time to learn. But to think that they’d have to really stop someday was weird. It’d be weird not to live with her, to leave the routine they had behind, the life they led so intertwined.

They hadn’t dated anyone in a while. A year for Jughead and six months for Betty, she had a very brief fling with a guy she met at work. Come to think of it, neither of them had had a real relationship in years. The last serious boyfriend of Betty’s Jughead remembers was probably Cameron, five years ago or so. They had dated for a few months until the guy proposed, and Betty panicked, almost knocking the diamond ring off his hand and leaving the restaurant, never to speak a word to him again. Jughead had been the one to speak to him one last time, at a grocery store, learning the guy was moving away from New York. It had been more serious to him than it ever was to her. Poor Cameron, now the reason for many laughs in their household. 

And Jughead, he never had a serious relationship ever. Just strings of flings here and there and failed dates. He had never been interested in serious relationship. Every time someone told him it’d be nice to have someone to share everything with, who you tell your darkest thoughts to, someone who would be there for everything, his first response would be that he didn’t need a relationship to have that, he has Betty for that. 

He stumbles into the house, suddenly regretting all the beers and the couple of shots Archie insisted on buying for him. The kitchen light is on, the distinct smell of betty’s cupcakes in the air and he grins, stumbling onto the kitchen. 

“You’re being loud. You drunk?” She questions with a grin on her face, sitting on a kitchen stool, cupcakes stacked on a plate in front of her. 

“Guilty. Are you?” He manages to sit next to her grab a red velvet cupcake. “Aw you made my favorite!” 

“I’m drunk and high. I’m beat, Jug.” 

“You got high without me?” He pouts. 

“They left early.” Betty whines. “And so, I went with the therapeutical way of having a night by myself. Baked.” She giggles. “All the stress is gone.”

“So, a good night then.” He nods, as he takes a bite out of his cupcake.

“Did you have a good night with Arch?”

“Yeah, he’s found a girl. But I think this might be real. It was cute, the way he talked about her.”

“Aw, that’s nice.” She smiles. “Sleep with me tonight?”

“Sure, Betts.”

They finish off the cupcakes and lock everything up before heading to Betty’s room. He takes his clothes off climbing in after her, offering himself up as a human pillow which she gladly accepts. 

“You ready for the next week?” She murmurs. 

“Week one of the last two. Can’t wait for it to be over.” He sighs, rubbing her back. “I feel as though it’s not as big of a deal since we do have jobs and stuff but it’s real life, huh?” 

She chuckles. “Mmh, Yeah, definitely not college kids anymore.” 

Jughead pauses, wondering how to bring it up but his mind is foggy with alcohol and he needs to clear his mind with her. “Do you ever think we’ll stop?” 

She looks up at him. “What?”

“The sex? Even if we don’t have anyone? Would we stop?” 

She sighs. “You’re being too serious right now, Juggie. I’m too high for this.” She watches his face. “Do you want to stop?” 

“No! I don’t! It’s too good.” He smirks at her and she laughs softly. 

“You’re right. It’s good and we’ll figure things out as we go, okay? No need to ruin what’s great.” 

He nods and places a kiss to her forehead, as she settles against him. 

No need to ruin what’s great. 

He falls asleep with that last thought.


	2. Standing at the Edge

The morning of the last week of graduate school comes as uneventful as most mornings. They wake up, celebrate the start of the last week and walk to campus together with a smile on their lips. It’s almost ending, and the prospect of a new chapter is exciting and refreshing albeit frightening and overwhelming at times. Their lives were mostly on track for now even if a couple years ago it felt like it was out of their control. They were getting full time jobs and they would learn to live with everything that would come later on. It was the real deal now, no going back. 

It seems to be quite the opposite of dramatic to Jughead, it’s all very clean. When school ends, they would still be working where they are and life would go on just the same, only now there was no school. As natural as it seems, it’s strange to him how not monumental it is. He doesn’t feel thrown to the wolves, he’s just going to work full time now and so was Betty. He wondered if he’d see less of her now that they weren’t together at school. She was still writing the second book, a sequel to her first published one and she was now going to write for The New York Times. During college, she had freelanced here and there, the book had given her enough reputation that she was sought out by many newspapers and magazines. His mind travelled back to little Betty Cooper with her Nancy Drew books and tight ponytail and then the image of the woman she became. Eight-year-old Betty Cooper had no idea where she was heading. Neither of them did at eight years old, obviously. He never even thought he’d make it to New York City at all, even when he was fifteen. And now here they were. 

“What’s with the look?” Betty questions as they’re arriving the campus with her smile, nudging him. “You’re in your head today.” 

“It’s just that it’s the last week, you know. I guess I’m just...reminiscing.” He shrugs. 

“I know. It’s a little weird that it feels kind of…natural? It’s so…”

“Clean. Clinical almost.” 

Betty smiles, nodding. “I’m happy, Jug. In a very real way.” She pauses, chuckling. “We have a great life, here, in New York. We’re both heading down the right path. And it feels right, every step we’re taking.”

“Minus our whole situation?”

Betty winces. “We’ll have to figure that one out, huh?” 

“I’d say so.” 

“I mean there are a few conveniences. We don’t have to deal with the ‘why are you single’ Questions. Also-”

“The sex.” Jughead shrugs.  
“Definitely.” She murmurs as they enter the building, heading to the first class of their last week. 

*

“They’re here early!” Betty yells out, bursting into his room. “We have to get up. And try to clear the evidence in this room.”

“Jesus, Elizabeth!” He sits up on the bed alarmed. “Where are they?” 

“Downstairs.” She tells him and he hops out of bed, chasing after her when she speeds out of the room. “The apartment is clean enough, just clear your things, so they don’t suspect anything.”

“Betts, they’ve seen that room before and they know it’s a guest bedroom. No one will go in there, alright?” He places his hands on both her shoulders.

She lets out a breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just panicked. They woke me up.” 

He wraps his arms around her, pulling her closer and she relaxes against, sighing. “Let’s get this show on the road, then.” 

“Maybe put some clothes on first.” She eyes him, teasingly and he laughs. 

“Thought you liked me clothes free.”

“I do, just not when our family is literally outside that door.” 

Once their family comes inside, she relaxes, realizing how much she missed them all. Jellybean seems even more mature than she’d last seen her and Juniper and Dagwood had basically attacked her heart, when she saw how big they are now. Her mother almost cries as she holds her and FP gives her a hug so tight, she can barely breathe. Jughead receives another somersault of hugs when he steps out into the living room, now fully clothed. She really missed all of them and as much as she had dreaded the moment, she can’t lie when it comes to how wonderful it feels to have them back to her again.

“Uncle Jug, is that the new X-Box?!” Dagwood squeals when he glances over at their TV, his eyes growing wide. 

Jughead laughs, nodding his head. “Yup, that was my birthday gift this year. Your aunt Betty knows me too well.” He winks at Betty, who rolls her eyes, continuing her conversation with JB. 

“Can we play?” Dagwood asks, looking up at Jughead. 

“No, sweetie, we’re about to go out for breakfast.” Polly tells her son and he groans. 

“Can’t I just stay here with uncle Jug and play?” His face reminds Jughead of when Dagwood was a little younger, the pouty lips, puppy face begging him for things when he and Betty babysat the twins, impossible to resist. That same face that seemed to be the Cooper signature, one that Betty used on him. 

“No, honey, maybe later.” Dagwood frowns at his mother’s words.

“How about this, you can come back after breakfast for a little bit.” Jughead tells Dagwood, whose eyes light up. “Just for a little bit, though because then we have to go the ceremony.”

“Ooh, are you gonna wear those ugly gowns and hats?” Juniper questions, laughing softly as she leans against Betty. 

“We are.” Betty answers. “And then we’ll go out to celebrate.”

They head out for breakfast, getting caught up with each other’s lives, as they walk to Betty and Jughead’s favorite diner, just down the street to their apartment building. Her mother is going on and on, catching her up on everything that had been happening in good old Riverdale. From the lady who used to babysitter that had cheated on her husband to how Jellybean had gotten a girlfriend. Jellybean had come out a year ago, though she’d been out to Betty for longer than that and despite how nervous she was, Betty knew their family would be fine with it and the teasing would remain the same as it was before. Relentless and fun to watch. The only person who was a bit hesitant about knowing at all was Hal, Betty’s father but he had never been as close as the rest of them were. He rarely even saw them all. Betty loved her father, however, the distance was better for their relationship. Hal Cooper was complicated, a good man, but old fashioned and hard to deal with. And she saw him less than a handful of times over the year. He was coming to her graduation ceremony though, with his new girlfriend. 

“And the girl is sweet, Elizabeth, and JB here is all smitten.” Alice winks, nudging Jellybean beside her.

“Oh, she’s cute too.” Gladys adds as Jellybean blushes.

Betty laughs as the younger girl groans. “Please stop.”

“I’ll have to meet her then. Can’t have my baby sister walking around with a girl not bro approved.” Jughead says, wrapping his arm around Betty’s shoulder. 

“You are all impossible. I’m so glad I have you, B.” Jellybean sighs dramatically. 

Betty grins. “Always.”

Jughead rolls his eyes. “I’m going to continue to ignore the fact that you love Betty more than you love me.” 

“There’s plenty of reasons as to why I love her more.” JB shrugs, smirking. “She feeds me, Jug.”

“That’s always enough for a Jones, huh?” Betty shakes her head with a laugh. 

“Oh, sweetie just wait until you get pregnant with one. They suck the life out of you.” Gladys jokes with a belly laugh. Jughead nearly chokes on his coffee. 

“Careful there, son.” FP smirks, slapping Jughead’s shoulder playfully. Jughead glances at Betty who is wide eyed. Truthfully, their mothers bringing up kids was something that had been happening a lot more lately and Jughead supposed it wasn’t totally unexpected, but still it made him sweat every time either of them brought it up.

“Mom.” Jughead warns, sighing.

“What? Wouldn’t it be cute to have a little grandkid? I miss babies.” Gladys tells them.

“I agree! Now that Dag and Juni are getting bigger, it’d be nice to have a little one around.” Alice grins. 

Betty sighs. “We’ve been over this. Jug and I aren’t…ready for that.”

“Oh sis, it’s truly the best thing in the world. Trust me!” Polly pipes up. 

Both Jughead and Betty sigh, taking a gulp of their coffees.

*

“Oh, I’m so proud of you guys!” Alice hugs both of them. They laugh, hugging her back. “Look at you kids, all grown up.”

“It’s been a while since they’ve grown up, Alice.” FP tells her with a fond look on his face, as he wraps an arm around Gladys. “We’re proud of you.” He and Gladys smile, such a sincere look on both their faces face, Jughead’s heart aches with happiness. He had missed them dearly, even if they all were overbearing at times. 

“Pictures, guys! We need pictures!” Polly squeals, pulling out her phone. “Gladys, FP, JB, you go first!” The photo op lasts embarrassingly long, with all the family involved. Dagwood reminds Jughead of himself, rolling his eyes at every picture they made him take and Juniper was all smiles, posing for the camera. “Now, just one of you two!”

“Isn’t it enough, woman?!” Betty groans, causing Jughead to laugh. 

“You’ll want to have this in a decade, guys! Now come on, kiss!”  
“Is this really necessary?” Betty questions, as Jughead wraps an arm around her waist, tugging her closer to him. 

“Let’s just get it over with.” He shrugs and then leans in closer. “Remember to keep it PG.” He smirks.

“Asshole.” She mutters, before grabbing his face and pressing her lips to his.

Sitting nearby are their friends who gasp as they watch them kiss each other, only Archie seems slightly confused about their reaction before remembering they don’t know.

“What the actual fuck?” Veronica’s eyes are wide as she stares in Betty and Jughead’s direction.

Archie looks confused for a second, following Veronica’s stare. “Oh right, you guys don’t know, I forgot.” Their heads snap towards the red head. 

“Don’t know what?” Kevin asks.

“Spill it, Andrews!” Cheryl commands.

Archie shrugs, looking back at the “couple” talking to their family. “So basically, Betty and Jug have been having sex since they were like sixteen, I think. They were each other’s firsts. And so, Alice caught them in the act this one time and after the whole ‘I hope you’re being safe’ thing, she was really happy and excited cause she thought they were dating, obviously and since she loves Jug, it was perfect for her. Alice had been in a real bad divorce and Betty and Jug decided that they didn’t want to admit they were just fucking and ruin her happiness and so they kept the facade up. The thing is that they spend every holiday together with their families and they still haven’t told them they’re not actually dating. So basically, their families think they’ve been in a relationship for like ten years. Alice is already mentioning a wedding –“ 

“More like planning it.” Jughead groans as they walk up to their friends. 

“You guys are fucking?!” Veronica shrieks. 

“Oh my god, Veronica, will you keep your voice down?!” Betty’s eyes widen, looking around. 

“I’m sorry. You’re fucking?!” She whisper yells at them, still shell shocked. 

“I-well-we- Yeah, we are...kind of for years.” Betty bites her lip, looking back at Jug. He smiles reassuringly. “But it’s just that, we promise.” 

Toni narrows her eyes at them. “Right.” 

“So how was that?” Archie glances back at where their families are standing talking with happiness beaming off their faces. 

Betty sighs. “Well, my mother just gave Jughead my grandma’s engagement ring, in secret. So great, I guess.” 

“Yeah and not to mention the obvious “hurry up, I want a grandchild” lines she threw at Betty. Christmas is gonna be fun this year.” He says sarcastically. 

“Right, because you won’t be too busy stuffing your face with any food available to actually answer their questions.” 

“It’s a solid plan, Betts. A win win.” 

“Except for me obviously.” 

He grins at her. 

“I’m in shock.” Veronica mumbles, glancing back and forth between them. “You’re fucking. Like for real. Yet...you’re not in a relationship. But you live together?” 

“That’s correct, yes.” Jughead says, nodding his head. “Now that we’re done with that, can we please talk about your dad’s new girlfriend, Betts?” 

Betty groans. “Oh god, she’s so pretentious.”

“No, you are not getting away with this so soon!” Kevin shakes his head. “How didn’t you tell us?”

“We wanted to keep that to ourselves, we’re not exactly the type of people who share that kind of thing.” Jughead answers. “Can you guys please not make a big deal out of this?”

“Sorry, we’re having a hard time taking in the fact that your family thinks you’ve been dating for years.” Toni scoffs.

“And that you’ve also been having sex for that same amount of time?” Cheryl adds.

“Have you ever had sex in my apartment?” Veronica questions. “Because you came out of the guest bedroom a couple of weeks ago flustered as fuck, but I thought: no way.”

Betty and Jughead glance at each other, trying not to laugh. “No?” Betty bites her lip.

“You motherfuckers.”  
*  
“SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM!” Dagwood yells out. 

Betty shakes her head from her spot on the dinner table, as she glances at the duo sitting on the couch excitedly playing X-Box together. She’d been working on her computer while they played, taking the little bit of time their family had gone sightseeing to get a few articles edited. Dagwood had opted to stay out of sightseeing, claiming they’d gone to New York many times before and that he’d much rather stay playing with uncle Jug.

“AND HE’S FINISHED!” Jughead cheers, high fiving Dagwood. “Nice work, soldier!” 

“I’m hungry.” Dagwood tells him, as they put the controllers down. 

“Well, it’s almost lunchtime so everyone’s probably getting here, so why don’t you wait for a little?” Betty tells him. 

“Yeah, bud, we’re getting real nice burgers so you might want to save up some space.” Jughead notes.

“But I’m a growing boy!” Dagwood smirks. 

Betty rolls her eyes. “He’s one of yours, Jug.”

“We can have a snack.” Dagwood shrugs.

Jughead laughs. “Sure, let’s see what we can do.” He stands up, getting Dagwood to follow him to the kitchen. 

Betty shakes her head, returning back to work. Her publishing company is pushing her for another book and truthfully, she’s halfway through it but it’ll be a while until it’s really done, but maybe during the next year, now that school is officially over, she’ll have a bit more time to fully go into it. She absolutely loves writing, always has ever since she was a kid. Fictional stories fascinated her. The idea that you could create new worlds was always intriguing and now she had people who wanted to read those stories. The advance from the first book a couple of years ago had gotten them an upgrade on an apartment, a two-bedroom apartment with a spacious living room. And then what had gotten from the sales was more than enough to make them live comfortably, along with Jughead’s job. They were doing great, considering they had no idea what it would be like when they first came to NYC. 

It isn’t long before the whole family gets to the apartment. And they’re sucked into the life that they had lived before New York. It feels good, to have them, even if it is for a little while. A short amount of time is better anyway, their family all together can be quite exhausting, lord knows that every Christmas is just one big giant mess of noise and crazy and laughter (often at their expense) and awfully competitive when it gets to family game night (no one plays Scrabble anymore because of Betty and Jughead and Jellybean is an absolute monster when playing Monopoly). 

“So, how’s the second book coming along, Betty?” Alice questions. 

“Halfway through, I think.” Betty answers. “My editor has been pushing for it, but it’s actually going pretty well.”

“I can vouch for that. It’s amazing so far.” Jughead smiles, glancing back at his best friend. 

“We’re all very proud of you, sweetie.” Gladys tells her. 

“Yeah, we are.” Jughead murmurs softly beside her and she reaches for his hand to squeeze it in hers for a second, appreciatively. If there is one thing that Jughead excels as is supporting her, just as she supports him, and he’d been the one to encourage her to show one of her teachers her first book and it had proved to be a one-way ticket to getting published. Now, here she was, closer to finishing her second book. 

“Thank you for the past couple of days, you two, they’ve been wonderful.” FP tells them with a warm smile. “I don’t want to get all mushy, but I really am proud of you. Ever since you were kids, you were bright and kind and determined. And to see what you’ve become. You know, this family and the family you’ll create.” Betty grips Jughead’s hand and he understands, because he feels it too. Guilt. For lying to them and now here’s FP, giving them a sincere speech, all emotional, making them feel like assholes. They never want to destroy that. Jughead pulls her closer, comforting her, as FP continues. “And I’m really proud and happy. You two deserve everything and we love you, more than anything.”

Betty smiles softly. “Thank you, FP. And to all of you, for everything you’ve done for us. We wouldn’t be here without you.”

“She’s right. And we’re thankful for this family. And that is what we’ll always be, no matter what.” Jughead looks down at Betty, who’s leaning against him and she knows this is especially directed at her. They are family and nothing will ever change that, even when eventually they come clean from the lie. He places a kiss to her head and whispers ‘I love you’, then raises his glass. “To this family.”

Betty smiles at him, gently. “To this family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, there, dear readers! Second chapter, hope you like it! Please comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> All the love xx


	3. Two Alone In the Dark May it Be

“You do know this is an impossible situation, right?” 

Veronica’s disbelief is a bit endearing. Jughead had never meant to be friends with the pearl neckless princess, much less actually care about her the way he does, almost like a brother, but here he is, listening to her concerns about the newly uncovered truth about his relationship with his and her best friend. He knew this conversation had been a reoccurring event lately with Betty and he was glad he hadn’t been around to partake in it because of a work assignment out of town. Now, though, he was hit with the full force of Veronica Lodge as they went out for coffee on his lunch break. 

“Jug, I’m surprised this has been going on for so long. I mean, I had my suspicions. You two do have an amount of intimacy that one would think you’re married. Which brings me to my point. Aren’t you two confusing what you have for a friendship with benefits?”

Jughead sighs. “But that is what it is, Ronnie.”

“No.” Veronica shakes her head. “Friends with benefits usually include a no-feelings type of thing. You and Betty? You love each other and you probably always will. Not how it works, buddy.” She scoffs. And Jughead gets her point really, he supposes that for people on the outside it might be strange or impossible, but they’re comfortable and they’ve never made it something it’s not. And it is absolutely normal to have been having sex with the same partner for a decade with no feelings…right?

“Of course, we love each other, I’ve known her since diapers and she’s always been my best friend. But it is not romantic.” 

“Alright, let’s just go over some things.” Veronica breathes out. “Who’s the first person you’d call if something amazing happened?”

“Betty.” 

“And if something terrible happened?”

Jughead rolls his eyes. “Also Betty.”

“Let’s say, you get home early, do you cook for one?”

“No, I make dinner for two. We live together, Ronnie.”

“Mmmh.” She hums. “Do you ever like have baths together in that lovely bathtub of yours?”

Jughead smirks. “Yes. Are you going to question me about our sex life?”

“’Our sex life’, you’re sweet and yes, I am.” Veronica tells him pointedly. “Say, in those bath sessions, is there wine involved?”

“Yes.”

“Nice wine?” The black-haired woman raises her perfect eyebrow.

“You know Betty doesn’t like cheap wine; she says it tastes ethyl alcohol.”

“Interesting.” She grins. “Do you ever go out to dinner? Just the two of you?”

“Yes, as if that is not normal friend behavior.” Jughead says, annoyed, blowing out a sigh.

Veronica laughs. “Where do you usually go?”

“Depends on our mood.” 

“How does the night usually end, Forsythe?” He says nothing, taking a sip of his coffee. Veronica laughs again, taking his silence and the look on his face as a confirmation of her suspicions. “No further questions, your honor.” 

“Ah, yes, how I love having a lawyer as a friend.” Jughead tells her sarcastically, but then he smiles at her fondly. “We’re fine, Ronnie. Just let it go.”

Veronica nods, biting her lip. “Just be careful. I’ll be here to try and fix you guys up if it all goes to shit but I’m dead serious. Be careful and think things through please, we’re a long way from college now.” Jughead’s stomach plummets a little at how serious she looks, and he nods, promising that they’d be fine and that he’d never do anything to hurt Betty and he knew she’d never do anything to hurt him. “That’s not what I’m worried about.” She tells him quietly. 

She drops the subject, moving on to talk about what had been happening at work and Jughead is left with a bitter taste in his mouth. 

*

He gets home late. He had texted her, warning her not to wait up for him but he’s not at all surprised when he finds her asleep, sprawled across the couch, glasses on her face and a book on her chest. He smiles, setting his things down on the table in the hall and then taking his shoes off, before making his way to the couch. He kneels down beside her, gently removing the book from her chest and placing it on the coffee table and then doing the same with her glasses. Once he turns back to her, her eyes are open. 

“Hey, you’re home.” She murmurs, reaching for him. He obliges, sitting on the edge of couch and burying his face in her shoulder, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Bad day?” She rubs his back. 

“Not bad, just tiring.” He mumbles back in response before lifting his head up to look at her. “You get any writing done today?”

She smiles proudly. “Another chapter. I was on a roll, Juggie.”

“Good.” He beams back at her. “Told you not to wait up for me, Betts.”

“I promise the plan was to wait until eleven and then go to bed, I just fell asleep.” He shakes his head laughing. “But I should go to sleep, I have that meeting tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, Betts.” He stands up and then helps her onto her feet with a smile, before pulling her into his arms, holding her close and feeling her melt into him. “Any chance you can sleep with me tonight?”

She frowns, placing hand on his cheek and taking a good look at him. “You okay?” 

“Just want some best friend cuddles.” He smiles, placing a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, off we go, Ms. Cooper.” She laughs, letting him lead her to the bedroom. 

The next morning, he wakes with a tentative rub against him, they had fallen asleep spooning and Betty seemed to be in a mood that he often enjoyed thoroughly. He would welcome horny Betty any time she wanted. Moaning against her, the friction becoming too much to bear, he begins to press kisses to her, getting delicious sighs in response. His hands roam her body, making their way under her t-shirt, squeezing her breasts, eliciting moans that made him even harder than he was and making her press harder against him. He pulls her panties down slowly, then rubbing her, slowly stimulating her. For every time the sex they have is rough and passionate, he also likes this type of sex. Slow, lazy, sensual. 

“I need you.” She moans and he doesn’t take long before obeying her request, giving her everything she needs and bringing them both to orgasm, loud moans escaping from them into the morning light of his bedroom. 

“Good morning to you too.” He murmurs, with a low chuckle, as she turns to face him. 

“Morning, Jug.” She smirks, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I missed morning sex, we’ve been too busy.” He laughs softly. “Speaking of busy, I have to get ready to leave.”

“Have lunch with me?” He questions, as she climbs of the bed. 

“Sure. Noon sound okay?” She tells him, looking back, pausing at the door. 

“Perfect. I’ll meet you at Marlow’s?”   
“Always.” She smiles, before darting away to get ready. 

*

“Are you guys close?” Cheryl questions into the phone. The plan had been to get to Cheryl and Toni’s apartment at eight, but they were caught up in work and then Betty had decided to join Jughead in the shower, so it’s safe to say they were late. Not fashionably so. “We’re waiting for you, you heathens.”

“And we’re almost at your building, we just got off the subway.” Betty answers, Jughead tugging her along by the hand. “I’ll see you soon.” She hangs up the phone. “Slow down, my legs are shorter, Jones!” She groans. 

“This is your fault, Elizabeth.” Jughead tells her, teasingly.

She smirks. “Like you didn’t like it.” He laughs, as they get to Cheryl’s front door and rings the door bell, waiting for it to open. “So, how long are you going be in LA for?”

“Just the weekend.” He tells her as they head to the elevator. “Thankfully. I mean, I love going on these assignments, but I need a little break.”

Betty smiles, hitting the button for Cheryl’s floor. “Well, your birthday weekend is coming up.”

“Yeah, I already asked for an extra day off.” He says with a smile. “It’s gonna be fun, to not work and to have a little fun.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We can have a few of our friends over and then we can lock ourselves in my bedroom, I promise I’ll be a good birthday boy.” He smirks, pressing himself against. 

“You’re impossible, Jones.” She rolls her eyes, giving him a little push making him laugh and he leans against the opposite side of the elevator. “But maybe I can work something out.” She winks, as the elevator doors open. He follows behind her with a grin on his face. 

“Finally, you’re here! What the hell took you so long?!” Cheryl appears at the door, arms crossed. She eyes both of them as they hesitate to answer her questions, she rolls her eyes. “I don’t even wanna know. Come on in!” She turns around, making her way into the house as they trail behind her.

“Ah, here they come!” Kevin grins at them. “Our favorite dynamic duo!” Betty rolls her eyes, leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek, before going around the table, greeting everyone. 

“Sorry, we were late, guys!” Jughead apologizes.   
“Got busy, did we?” Veronica smirks, as she takes a sip of her wine glass. Jughead proudly flips her off making them all laugh and goes to take a sit on one of the free chairs, Betty sits next to him. “So, did you all get the invite to our dear, dear friend’s wedding ceremony?”

Betty snorts. “We sure, did. You guys going?”

“If we all go, it might be fun, a comical situation one would say.” Cheryl smirks mischievously. 

“Evelyn’s not that bad!” Archie pipes up. 

“Sure, if you forget the fact that she said her boyfriend, soon to be husband, was her dad.” Betty deadpans. 

“Also, they’re in a cult.” Jughead adds. “Fun, huh?”

“And no one knows how old she actually is.” Veronica says. “Evelyn’s weird. One would tolerate it if she wasn’t such a bitch.”

“Amen to that.” Toni laughs. “I’m sorry, babe, but I can’t even think about being in a cult wedding, it gives me the chills.” She says to Cheryl. 

“I agree.” Jughead breathes out dramatically. “Although, when you think about it, could be nice opportunity to actually see the crazy.”

“And promptly, run from it.” Toni says. Everyone laughs and Jughead is struck with the feeling of warmth. He and Betty had created a family away from home, these people. Some there from the beginning, some from a few years ago. They had been through a lot. Weird boyfriends and girlfriends and crazy night outs they barely remembered, so many memories were shared. They were his friends for life, and he could imagine being eighty years old, still laughing with them, with more stories to tell. 

“Seems like forever ago since we met Evelyn.” Betty notes. “Do you guys remember that night?”

Veronica shakes her head with a laugh. “I never drank tequila again.” 

“I can’t believe we saved Evelyn from getting punched in the face.” Cheryl says. “If only we knew her crazy back then.”

“What? You’d let that guy punch her?” Archie questions, smirking. 

“Probably. It’d save us years of trouble.” Cheryl shrugs. “Though, I always forget who actually saved the she devil.” 

They all pause before Kevin speaks up. “There are several versions from onlookers. Doily thinks it was Betty, but he was tripping on LSD, so not really reliable.” He explains. “Sweet Pea swears it was Toni. And I think, from what I remember, it was Veronica.”

Betty shakes her head. “No, it was me. I have flashes of it.” She says. “Very vague ones.” 

“A toast then!” Kevin says with a smile, lifting up his wine glass. “Here’s to future memories! May we have stories like this for the rest of our lives!” 

Dinner flows easily, the conversation running from one topic to the other, laughter throughout the table, as some spoke about work, others about family and new relationships. And Jughead, for the second time that same night, feels so grateful that he has the privilege of having this. So, when Betty takes his hand, he feels like maybe she knows what he’s feeling. They had been busy lately and as opposed to before when they saw them almost every couple of days, being with their group of friends, with every single member around was rare. This only reminded them of how they missed it. 

Once they’re done with dinner, Veronica convinces everyone to go this karaoke place they used to go and hadn’t gone to in years. And since, they were already a few glasses of wine in, they were convinced to go, all of them chatting animatedly to their respective ubers. Betty and Jughead were riding with Kevin, who telling them the detailed version of his night with Fangs, a guy he had met a couple of months ago but only recently had worked up the courage to ask him out. 

“I’m really happy for you, Kev.” Betty smiles. Their uber driver looks slightly distressed at the amount of information Kevin is giving them, especially because he’s a tipsy and Betty can’t really blame him. They had gotten used to it over the years, but it’s amusing to see strangers like that. Kevin is overall just a bunch of TMI put together, mixed with a childlike glee and the wisdom of an elder (plus a lot of gay).

“Thanks, Betty.” Kevin grins back at her.

“So, when do we get to meet him? Fangs?” Jughead questions, with a smirk.

“All in its due time, Forsythe.” Kevin winks. 

When they get to bar, Veronica’s distinct voice is blaring through the speakers and Jughead wonders how much time she actually had between getting out of the uber and getting onstage. He decides, purely because it’s Veronica that she may have ripped the microphone from someone’s hands. It seems in character, as he watched her rendition of ‘Total eclipse of the heart’, Veronica’s go to song. He expects Betty to be up there at some point, just give her time for a couple more drinks. 

“Hey, I’m gonna go get a drink, be right back.” Betty yells at him over the music.  
“Bring me a beer?” She nods with a smile and then disappears into the crowd. He looks back at the stage, looking at Veronica drunkenly finish her rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s hit.

“How are you not dating?” Kevin questions. 

“What?”

Kevin leans over. “I haven’t talked to you about it yet. I’ve been dying to.”

“Kev…” Jughead groans. 

“I’m sorry, but just do it, please. You guys are perfect for each other and the sex is obviously good, so why the fuck not?”

“Because we don’t feel that way about each other.” He tried to keep his cool, but it was getting on his nerves too much. He just needed everyone to drop it and carry on like they didn’t know. He interrupts Kevin before he can say anything else. “I’m gonna go to Betty.” He storms off, spotting Betty at the bar. 

Some guy is obviously hitting on her and by the looks of it, she looks uncomfortable which means she’s probably already turned him down. He always hates this. Guys all up on her like this, even when she says no. Her eyes catch him just as she turns her head to the crowd and she sends him a look for help, so he walks faster. 

“Hey, babe.” He greets, arm wrapping around her waist, as he pecks her cheek. The guy stares at them for a moment. “You got a problem?”

“You know, I don’t mind sharing.” The guy smirks. Jughead locks his jaw, looking down at Betty. 

“How about you fuck off?” Betty snaps, obviously frustrated. “Fuck off, as in no.” The guy is clearly wasted, as he steps a little closer, Jughead pushing him of slightly.

“Get the fuck out of my face and stop bothering my girlfriend or else we’re going to have a pretty big problem.” He pushes him further away, towering over the guy. The guys raises his hands, stumbling away. “What the fuck is wrong with people?” Betty hands him back his beer as she takes her drink.

“I fucking hates assholes like this. How many no’s does it take?”

“One should be enough.” 

He places a hand on her back, leading her back to their friends. They sit in a booth with all of them, flying into the conversation easily. “You okay?” Jughead murmurs into her ear, noticing how quiet she’d gone.

Leaning closer, she smirks to herself. “Do you have any recollection of the bathroom here? Circa 2016?” 

His eyes darken as he remembers, a smirk appears on his face. He remembers her leading him into the bathroom, both of them wasted and he remembers fucking her against the wall, in the blue neon lighting. He even remembers her pretty little pink dress, especially how short it was and how her legs looked sinful, wrapped around his waist. He remembers the scratches down his back and the marks all over her body when he saw her in the morning.

“How about a repeat?”

He gets up first, saying he’s going to get a drink, even though there’s still beer in his glass and then after a few minutes, she goes to the bathroom. It takes all of twenty seconds of her leaving, that their group of friends to look each other. 

“They are so gonna fuck.” Veronica smirks.

“How the hell did we not see this before?” Cheryl questions. “They were literally eye fucking in front of us.” 

“They usually cover it better.” Archie notes. “I think they just don’t care now since you all know. I’ve had to deal with this since I was sixteen.” 

“Do you guys think they’re vanilla?” Kevin ponders out loud. 

Then, collectively after a few seconds, they all laugh. “Nah.”

Then, after a beat, Archie’s brows are furrowed when he questions. “Hey, guys, what’s vanilla?” 

“Oh, my poor innocent probably missionary only friend.” Veronica sighs, patting Archie’s back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo guys, Third chapter! Tell me what you guys feel about this, always lovely to hear it!
> 
> Lots of love xx


	4. So Kiss the Sky

On the morning of Jughead’s birthday, he’s woken up a blonde-haired girl whispering in his ear, shaking him awake. It had been a late night, with just the two of them. She had cooked him dinner and then she had taken care of him, taken him up to new heights to yell at God for making Betty Cooper so sinfully perfect. She had told him that a surprise awaited in the morning, and she had refused to tell him what it was, only telling him he’d know when he woke up the next morning. He was planning on protesting but when she took him into her mouth, any clear though went out the window. Now, though, as she laughs at his confused, sleepy face, he’s reminded of said surprise.

“Morning.” She chuckles. “Remember that surprise?”

He rubs his eyes. “Does it require you to wake me up? It feels early.”

“Yes, we have a flight to catch.”

His eyes widen. “We have a what now?”

“I packed for you, so get up, I made breakfast and then we have to go to the airport.” She pecks his cheek. “Oh, and happy birthday. Again.” She grins before walking out of the door of his bedroom.

He stays dumbfounded for a second, sitting up on the bed, noticing his suitcase by the door. Shaking his head, he quickly showers and gets ready, throwing on some clothes and then making his way to the kitchen. “So, you want to tell me where we’re going?”

“When we get to airport.” She grins.

He groans. “Why does it matter if I know now?”

She laughs, shrugging. “It doesn’t, I just want you to suffer a little.”

“Cold.” He sighs, as he pours himself a cup of coffee. “Is it sunny?”

“Maybe.” She shrugs. “You’ll know when we get there. Hurry up, I’m calling us an uber.” She tells him before disappearing into her bedroom and he shakes his head laughing. He was curious to see what this was about, he was excited at the prospect of getting away from the city and of spending some quality time with his best friend since they had been working so much, their time together was mostly spent on the couch, both of them falling asleep before any Netflix choice ended.

When she calls into his bedroom that the uber is almost at their street, he’s dressed, backpack on his back and huge smile on his lips as he makes his way out. “Thank you, by the way. For arranging whatever this is.”

Betty smiles, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “You deserve it, Juggie.”

He only figures out where they’re going when they get to their gate, not specifically but somewhere near Toronto, since Betty told him they weren’t staying in Toronto but somewhere close, somewhere they had been wanting to go for a while but hadn’t. So, on the plane, he had figured it out. Niagara Falls. And he had scared her awake with his excitement at having figured it out.

“This is amazing, you’re amazing, Elizabeth Cooper.” He tells her making her laugh as he kisses her cheek, repeatedly.

“We’re staying in Niagara on the Lake. I know you wanted to relax, getaway from the city, so my editor suggested this really nice hotel and it’s pretty perfect.” She explains and his heart aches with love for his best friend.

“I love you, Betts. You’re everything.” He grabs her hand squeezing it in his.

The flight is short and soon they’re landing in Toronto where they’re getting the car Betty had rented. Once they get their bags, they head out to get the car and quickly get on their way to Niagara on the Lake. The trip is interesting, passing through beautiful landscape, with a view of Lake Ontario on the way. Jughead had a look of awe on his face the whole time. He always loved nature. It was one of the things he loved about Riverdale, its natural beauty was wonderful and when they were home, they often ended up by Sweetwater River, in the quiet of nature. He missed that after years of living in a buzzling city like NYC.

“Hey, they didn’t have any twin rooms available, so we have to share, alright?” Betty says as they get to the hotel.

“You tryna get me in bed, Cooper?” He teases, a smirk on his face.

“You are the birthday boy, after all.” She winks.

“So, this is a sex trip.”

She rolls her eyes. “Behave.”

It’s a beautiful little city, charming and Betty can see why her editor recommended it. It feels awfully romantic to Betty, although this trip is anything but. Betty thinks this would be a great honeymoon location. Things to explore, romantic and gorgeous. Jughead thinks he can’t wait to get to the hotel room because Betty looks way too hot in those jeans and her cleavage doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

“You requested the lake view room, correct?” The receptionist questions, glancing up at them before looking back at the computer

“Yes, I did.” Betty nods.

The receptionist frowns. “I think we might’ve had a bit of mix up here. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?” Betty furrows her brows.

“All the lake view rooms are taken up. The only rooms available are the suites.” She checks the computer again. “We’ll have to upgrade you to a suite. It was our mistake. Is that fine with you and your partner?”

Jughead grins at Betty. “Yes, it is.” Betty responds with a sweet smile.

“Perfect. We’ll take the bags up to your room now. There is wine waiting for you and if you need anything, just call the front desk and we’ll be at your disposal.”

“Thank you so much.” They say, making their way to the elevators.

“Would you look at that? A suite!” Jughead laughs. “This just keeps getting better.” He says and then leans closer. “Now, let’s please go up to our room because I need to rip those clothes off your body.”

“Is that so? You like the jeans?” She smirks, as they walk in the elevator. Once the door closes, he pushes her against the wall.

“You have no idea the things I wanna do to you right now.” His voice lowers and she runs her hands across his chest.

“Tell me.” She challenges, pulling him closer to her body.

He leans into her ear, arms sneaking tighter her around her. “I wanna taste you, baby. So bad, I wanna make you cum hard, time and time again and I want to make you scream my name, the way you do when I do it just-” Just then the elevator stops, not on their floor just yet, but an old lady walks in.

“Are you kids going up? Got a little lost on which floor my room was.” The old lady questions, as they scramble away from the wall, standing close to each other, Jughead holding her waist from behind.

Jughead clears his throat. “We are, yes.”

“Oh wonderful!” She grins. Betty glances back at him, trying to hold back laughter. And he rolls his eyes, shoving her lightly with a grin on his lips. “How long are you staying for?”

“Oh, um just the weekend. Getaway from the city.” Jughead answers. “She surprised me.”

“Those are the best kind of trips. My husband is always surprising me.” The lady laughs softly. “You two make a beautiful couple. Your kids are gonna be lucky with your genes.” Betty’s eyes widen visibly apparently because the lady backtracks. “Oh sorry, was that rude? My granddaughter is always teaching me that nowadays it’s wrong to assume anything. It’s fine if you don’t want children or anything, it’s perfectly normal-”

“It’s ok.” Jughead cuts her off with a smile. “We’re not quite there yet.” He decides on an easy answer like the ones they give their family, hoping the situation ends soon.

“Oh, well it’s a wonderful thing. I have three myself and they are the best part of my life.” She says proudly.

“It must be.” Betty says politely just as the elevator arrives on their floor.

“Would you look at that? We’re on the same floor. I’m Rose, by the way. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Betty smiles. “I’m Betty and this is Jughead. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Well, I better get going. Charles is waiting.” The lady says before walking away in the opposite direction of their suite. Betty lets out a sigh, before pulling Jughead along with her to their room.

“Where were we?” Jughead smirks as soon as they walk in the room. She crashes her lips into his. “Best birthday ever.” He whispers against her lips, pushed up against her, hoisting her up in his arms. “Allow me to thank you properly.” He grins, carrying her to the bedroom and proceeding to thank her thoroughly, multiple times and each time, exactly where she wanted him to.

*

“Did you ever think we’d get here? Affording to getaway for a weekend? Affording the apartment? You having a book published, about to publish a second one? All of this?” He questions as they sit together, having a wonderful dinner by the lake. Now that they could finally appreciate the view, it was overwhelming. Gorgeous, in a way that made you pause, enjoy the serenity of the scene. Jughead could never thank Betty enough for this trip. It was exactly what he needed after working basically non-stop for months.

“I don’t know.” She smiles softly. “I never thought of the future that way. We always set these small goals for ourselves, right? Get into college, move to New York, find a way to pay the bills in New York, though we did make that one a little harder for ourselves, right? Not letting our parents help.” She chuckles.

“Well, it worked out just fine, better than, actually.” He reaches for her hand, caressing her skin with his thumb. “I like the life we’re living, Betts. It’s a life better than what we could have ever dreamed of.”

She smiles at him, fondly, in a way you could only smile at someone who you knew inside and out, someone you shared your deepest thoughts to. Jughead had been with her at her most vulnerable, she shared with him a kind of intimacy that she knew would be impossible with anyone else. It had been a while since she had been in a relationship with a person she trusted fully, if ever actually. She had never been with anyone the way she had been with Jughead and vice versa. There was something else entirely about the way they loved each other, the way they trusted each other, and she was certain it would be hard to find someone like that for her. But she was happy right now, sipping wine with him, with a beautiful view.

“Remember Christmas, like five years ago?” She questions with a grin. “The one we spent in Riverdale, instead going up to the lodge?”

“We gave Dag that racing car that destroyed my foot, right?”

She laughs. “That’s the one.”

“What about it?”

“Five years ago, I was still writing the book. It was only an idea at that point. And you were about to go to an interview at a very shitty magazine that went wrong and thank god it did, because you just got a promotion at Rolling Stone magazine. Five years ago, everything so different and we still were trying to figure out how to make it work. And Christmas is still one of my favorite memories because I was freaking about everything and you told me that when I looked back at that moment, I’d realize how it all worked out and changed for the best. And it did.” She grins. “Look at us.”

He looks at her, an adoring look on his face. “I love you, Betts, with all my heart.”

“I love you too, Jug.”

*

“Why the fuck would you bring the dress?” Jughead groans as Betty steps out of the bathroom. The red dress and the lace lingerie she always wears with it, drive him insane. The first time she had worn it had been a couple of years ago at Veronica’s New Year’s bash and they had ended up locked in one of Veronica’s rooms and then in Jughead’s bed when they had gotten home. “I thought I’d ripped it last time, Betts.”

“Oh, you didn’t, just the zipper but I got it fixed.” She smirks, as she steps closer to him, fixing his white button up. “You look nice.”

He shrugs. “You said it was a fancy restaurant and you packed me this shirt. I know it’s your favorite.”

“You look hot in it. Can you blame me?” She runs her hands from his chest to his stomach. “Also, I might have a surprise under this dress for when we get back.”

His hands grip her waist, groaning. “You’re impossible.”

“To resist? Yeah, I try.” She places a kiss to his cheek before patting his chest and moving past him. “Should we go?” Her back is turned to him, he has a full view of one of his favorite parts of her and he thoroughly enjoys its views and when she doesn’t hear a response on his part, she laughs, shaking her head. “You’ll have plenty of time to admire all that later. Let’s go.”

“Oh, I plan to.” He grins walking forward and offering his arm for her to take. “You’re my birthday gift.”

“You’re never quite satisfied, are you, Forsythe?” She smirks.

“My appetite is not limited to food. And when you’re looking like that and doing things like what you just did to me in that bathroom, you bet your ass I’ll be craving all you have every second of the day.”

“Don’t tempt me.” She murmurs, as they reach the elevator.

He laughs. “We can always have a repeat of…what was it? Number 6 on your list? The elevator?”

“Number 8. Six was the plane.” She winks. “And although I’d like that. This elevator has a camera, already checked.”

He narrows his eyes at her, amused. “You little minx.”

She shrugs. “Gotta keep it interesting. Don’t want us turning into an old married couple.” Betty says and he falters a bit, the words igniting a kind of uneasiness he’d been feeling ever since talking to Archie and then Veronica about his and Betty’s relationship. He was very good at brushing it off but at times, he did wonder if they were about to screw up, if they were doomed to it ever since she asked him to take her virginity in the Blue and Gold. He remembers that moment clearly, of her pretty sweater, her perfume, always sweet, always familiar, her eyes vulnerable. His raging 16-year-old hormones had lit on fire at her request. He could never say no to her, but they had a lengthy conversation, he asked if she didn’t want someone else, someone she loved. Her only response had been that she did love him and that the only person she wanted it to be with was him, the only one she trusted, her best friend. 

The day of had been terrifying, he remembers. He remembers watching from his bedroom window as her parents drove off, her sister was staying at her boyfriend’s, he remembers feeling so nervous. He wanted to make her feel good and comfortable and safe. When he rang the doorbell, Betty opened the door with a nervous smile.

_***_

_“Hi.” He murmured._

_“Hey, Jug.” She smiles. “My parents are gone.”_

_“I know, I saw them leave.” He says as she makes room for him to get inside the house. _

_There’s a pause and it’s a little awkward, quite the opposite of what he’s used to feeling with Betty. “Upstairs?” He nods and follows her up the stairs. As they reach her bedroom, she stops abruptly, turning around to face him. “I’m really nervous.” She confesses. _

_“Me too.”_

_“I want you to feel good, I just…I hope I’m good enough.” She tells him._

_“Betts, this is our first time. It’s bound to be weird, right? We’ve never done this before. Don’t worry about anything, okay? We’ll make it up as we go.” He places a hand on her cheek._

_“We’ll figure it out.” She nods, breathing out. “Can I kiss you?” He stills for second, gulping and then nods with a reassuring smile, so she hesitantly steps closer to him, hands reaching for his face, as his arms go around her waist drawing her nearer. She presses her lips to his, soft at first, pulling away for a second to look at him one last time before he rejoins their lips again, this time a little harder, pushing her inside the open door of her bedroom._

_He pulls away, breathless. “Should we just go for it?”_

_She laughs. “I’m game if you are.” So, with that, he lays her down on the bed and throws his beanie somewhere to his right. “Feeling naked already?” She giggles, as he leans down, hovering above her. She reaches up to touch his hair. He rolls his eyes, crashing his lips to hers again, before travelling to her neck. She lets out a moan. He gets little hard when she moans a little harder as he reaches a sweet stop. “You have way too many clothes on.”_

_“So, do you.” He teases with a grin and then takes his shirt off. She takes her shirt off, leaving her in a lacy black bra. He freezes. “I was not expecting that.”_

_“What? Is it bad?”_

_“What?! No, it’s hot. _ _Way too hot.” He says. “I think it’s quite clear what it does to me.” He says, with a laugh, motioning awkwardly to the front of his jeans. She laughs nervously, gulping down. “Are we being like way too vocal?”_

_“I don’t know, is there a rule somewhere?” _

_He laughs. “I don’t think so.” And then kisses her again, travelling down to the valley of her breasts. “Can I take this off?” He murmurs and she nods, so he does, he takes her bra off and for some reason, Betty doesn’t feel vulnerable, not like she thought she’d feel. When Jughead looks at her like that, she feels powerful, that she’s the one causing the darkness in his eyes. He’s never looked at her like that and it suddenly makes her crave him and she’s not expecting it. _

_“Jug.” She murmurs when he starts kissing down her body. He looks up._

_“Do you want to stop?”_

_“Fuck, no.” She grins. “I…just…thank you.”_

_He laughs. “Don’t thank me yet, I want this to be good for you.” He says, before continuing to work down. Taking her pants off, he marvels at her legs. It’s not that he’s never thought about how gorgeous Betty is, it’s just that he’s never allowed himself to think about where he wanted them, preferably around his waist, with him buried inside her. With her jeans gone, he kisses the inside of her thighs, making her moan, so he takes the hint that she’s enjoying it and kisses closer and closer to just where she wants him. He toys with her panties, teasing her through her underwear._

_“Just take them off.” She snaps, looking at him._

_He smirks. “Bossy.” He allows himself to comment, before obeying to her request. And he knows that she’s about to respond with some quick remark, so he stops her, giving her just the satisfaction she craved. He brings to orgasm, her grasping his hair and moaning his name as she comes. When he looks up, she’s breathing heavily and it’s quite the sight. Betty Cooper bare, flushed and with a blissful look on her face. _

_“Where did you learn to do that?” _

_He blushes. Actually blushes even after being with his head buried between her legs a minute ago. “I read about it.” _

_“Come here.” She says and he obeys, as she pulls him up to her so she can kiss him. “You have too many clothes on.” She smirks. “It’s only fair if I return the favor.” _

_“You don’t have to.” He argues, a caring look on his face. “Honestly, I’m probably not gonna last long, Betts, so better save it for some other time.” Realizing his words, the color drains from his face. “I mean- not that I think we’ll be doing this again…I- well-”_  
  


_“Relax.” She shushes with a laugh. “After what just happened, Jug, I’m gonna you need a lot more because I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. My fingers are nothing like your tongue.” She tells him and he groans, the thought of her touching herself sending him into overdrive. Smiling at him one last time, she unbuckles his belt and pushes his pants down. So, in all his eagerness, he pushes his own boxers and feels a little self-conscious when she stares. _

_“What?” He murmurs. _

_“I want you, Juggie.” She says. “There’s condoms in the drawer.”_

_He doesn’t last that long, it’s a new sensation that is entirely too overwhelming, but he tries to make it up to her. A lot of times over the course of the next weeks and he learns how she likes things to be, where to touch, how to touch and they communicate well. They always have, no reason for sex to be any different. _

_*_

“You okay, Juggie?” Betty touches his arm, bringing him back to the present.

“Yes, I’m fine.” He smiles.

_Don’t want us turning into an old married couple._

He might have to call Veronica for a heart to heart when they get back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one, you guys! Hope you like it. Let me know what you think! I always love it when you do!


	5. We Go Fast, We Don't Move

As far as traditions went, one had long been established in their friend group and that was an early Christmas before they all went to their respective families. They switched between houses every year, this year it was Betty and Jughead’s turn to host their annual get together. Betty loved every bit of it, planning everything, cooking, baking and directing Jughead when he got too lost trying to help her. It was endearing, he truly loved helping and wanted to help as much as he could, but he’s just never been very good at being in the kitchen if he’s not eating.

Jughead’s favorite part was actually gift shopping. They brainstormed their ideas beforehand and usually got their gifts early, so it was calmer instead of the Christmas rush they had gotten caught up in this one year. Jughead loved picking things for people, catered to their personalities and it was fun to see their friends’ reaction. It was truly priceless. For each other, they usually gave each other something small, saving the big ones for actual Christmas with their families.

As of now the list went:

  * Cheryl and Toni: Irish make-up bell (engagement present)
  * Veronica: A red button that says: “Bullshit, your honor” or alternatively, just “Bullshit”
  * <strike>Archie: A bobblehead of Ed Sheeran with his name scratched out to say Archie. </strike>(done) <strike></strike>
  * Kevin: Ambient Stock Orb

For actual Christmas, they were going to Riverdale. As always, they were going to be in Cooper house. And they were looking forward to the quietness of their sleepy little town and to seeing their families again. Betty was the one who loved Christmas most out of the two of them. He hadn’t spent one Christmas without her, since they were born. Christmas was always the Joneses and the Coopers, since forever basically. Neither of them knew their grandparents, for very good reasons from what they know, so they knew that their families had morphed into one since their parents became friends in High School. It had always been them. There were pictures dating back to Christmases when their parents were in their early twenties until now, building up as they time went on, additions here and there, the last being Juniper and Dagwood.

The whole city seems to have erupted into complete Christmas madness. Everywhere you walk by there’s decorated to the max trees and reindeers and snowmen with red scarves. Every mall there’s Santa greeting children. Cashiers are dressed as elves, out of the speakers, Mariah Carrey descends from the height of her highest Holiday-ish note and the world bobs their head to the Christmas bells, even though they find it annoying.

“How many years have been doing this?” Betty wonders out loud. They’re shopping, looking for the very specific items on their list.

“Early Christmas?” He pauses. “Six years maybe? It was around the time Toni and Cheryl moved in together so yeah, six years.”

“I feel like I do this way too often, but this year has made me emotional, so deal with it.” She smiles. “When we were in high school, could you have imagined that we’d have this family here?”

“I don’t think I ever thought about anything like this. I figured you and Arch would be enough for me.” He laughs softly. “But I don’t know what I would without them now. As unlikely as our little family here is.”

“For life, right?”

“Oh, for sure.” He nods. “So, onto Kevin.” He grins.

*

“So, you want to actually talk about what you wanted to talk about or are we still ignoring it for the time being?” Veronica questions, as sets her wine glass down. When Jughead had called her, inviting her to lunch, she hadn’t thought anything of it. It was a normal invite, they usually got lunch together every week. But Jughead’s been making small talk for the past fifteen minutes and by now, they’d usually gotten past that.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Is it Betty?”

He nods. “Mostly I guess.” He pauses. “Maybe I’m seeing things because everybody’s been nagging me about it.”

“About your relationship?” Veronica asks.

“There were just some things she said that made me question things.”

“Like what?”

“Weird things like ‘don’t want us turning into an old married couple’ and the more I think about things, Archie’s right, someday we’ll have to go our separate ways in terms of how we live our life. I’ve never thought about my future without us. I’ve never thought about my life without thinking about Betty. Maybe I should.”

Veronica listens. Perhaps it had been wrong to pressure him about things, but either way he’s finally figuring some things out. Thinking to herself, she has never thought of Betty and Jughead being apart. They had always been a sort of package deal and even though she often made comments about it, it had never been serious enough. The sooner they can admit to themselves that they are actually together as a couple, the better it’ll be for everybody. She doesn’t think they ever will break up, even if they’d never actually consider it a breakup, there had been too many years together, their whole lives. It would be impossible to break a bond such as theirs.

“Or maybe it’s the other way around.” Veronica tells him softly.

“There can’t be. It can’t go on forever, Ronnie.”

“Why not?”

“Not worth risking us for that.”

Jughead’s scared, terrified of the little voice in the back of his mind. Because if the voice is right, if everyone else is right, he’ll lose her because he knows her. He knows how terrified she is of change and of commitment, knows she likes the stability and if that ends, suddenly the relaxed nature of how they live, if you add the pressure of the label then she’d run. He knows.

And that’s why he decides that, instead of confessing his possible hypothetical feelings, he decides to try the opposite.

*

Betty’s staring at him for a few seconds after he casually says it.

“What are you saying?”

Jughead sighs. “I think maybe we need to prove everyone wrong.”

Betty snorts. “Since when do you care about them?”

“They’ll stop fucking with us.” There’s a pause, she’s staring at him. He kind of wants to crawl into a hole and die.

“So, what? Do we just, date other people?”

He blows out a breath. “If you want to.”

“So, the challenge is no sex for as long as we can.”

Jughead groans. “No, just living our life as actual friends and not as…”

Betty narrows her eyes, walking back into the kitchen where he’s loading up the dish washer. “And not as what?”

Jughead stops to look back at her, leaning against the counter. “Not as us, I guess.” He steps closer to her, placing his hands on her hips. “Remember when we talked about maybe ending this aspect of our relationship so we could focus on finding someone to build a life with? Maybe we need to prove, not to everyone else but to ourselves that we can…” He trails.

“End it?” She questions in a murmur. He watches her face and he immediately regrets everything, his plan seems like a punch to stomach now.

“We can start after Christmas, maybe?”

She nods, biting her lip. “We can do that.”

So, now, very clearly, there’s a countdown in his head.

*

“Jug, get the door, will you?” Betty calls out as she’s getting her famous brownies out of the oven. Jughead’s setting the table and their friends were supposed to be arriving, so everything was going according to plan.

“Merry early Christmas!” Cheryl screams excitedly, throwing her arms around Jughead, while he and Toni laughs.

“Someone’s excited!” Jughead says with a smirk.

“She’s only this excited because Christmas means we’re getting married in four months!” Toni tells him, with a hug, as Cheryl sprints to the kitchen to greet Betty.

“Of course.” He shakes his head with a chuckle, closing the door behind him and following Toni into the kitchen.

“Ah, yes! I smell your cookies!” Toni sighs happily, hugging Betty.

“Always!” Betty grins. “How are you guys?”

“We’re good!” Cheryl answers. “Almost wedding time!”

Betty gasps, smiling widely. “Yes! How’s the wedding planning going?”

“Awful!”

“Great!”

Jughead sucks in a laugh, throwing a glance at Betty, as Toni and Cheryl answer at the same time. The duo were a complicated match, even if they were perfect for each other, hence their gift, the Irish Bell. They often disagreed and tended to butt heads when it came to small things, so it was no surprise that for Toni, usually relaxed and nonchalant, wedding planning was fine and for Cheryl, she’d be become Bridezilla.

“So, which one is it?”

“Cheryl’s overreacting about seat arrangements.”

“Am not! Our wedding has to perfect, including arranging my delicate family so they don’t ruin everything!” Cheryl gasps.

“I’m gonna have to side with Cheryl on this one, I’m scared of the Blossoms.” Jughead teases, just to spite Toni who glares at him, just as Betty does. “Kidding, not taking sides, no need for you two to bite my head off.”

“Jug!” Betty groans. The doorbell rings. “Get the door!”

“Yeah, Jones, do as you’re told!” Cheryl barks, as Jughead jogs to the front door, laughing to himself.

As their chosen family begins to arrive, the house dissolves into laughter and animated chatter, glasses of wine being poured as everyone sits around the table. Stories being told of each other’s weeks and of future plans. Betty tells everyone that the book is now well on its way after an awful writer’s block. Jughead tells them he’s interviewing Robert Plant and insane things are going on at the moment. Years ago, this life had seemed impossible in college and now they’re living it. All of them. Lawyers and business owners and writers and musicians. Grown-ups. God, it feels weird to think of themselves like that.

Veronica’s the first one to notice that somethings feels off between them. It’s not that they’re distant, it’s just that there’s this heaviness around them that no one is used to. Then Cheryl crosses her eyeline and she realizes she’s not the only one who sees it. Their gazes stay for longer on each other than usual and they touch as though they’re making the most of it, so Veronica decides to corner one of them, whoever she can first.

So, when she sees Betty walk into her room, she quickly follows her, opening the door. “Betty?”  
  


She stands quickly from the bed. “Ronnie.”

“What is going on?” Veronica asks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you and Jug. What happened?”

Betty sighs. “I’m not doing this. Nothing happened, everything’s fine.”

“Yeah, then why the hell did you just escape to your bedroom while our friends are out there?”

Betty scoffs, running a hand through her hair. “I’m fine, V. Honestly.” She pauses, pondering whether or not to tell her. “Jug and I just decided to end our physical relationship after Christmas.”

Veronica’s eyes widen. “What?! That piece of-”

“Betty?” The door swings open, revealing a concerned Jughead. “Oh, Ronnie.”

“You moron!” Veronica narrows her eyes at him, hitting him on the chest.

Jughead looks taken aback, stepping into the bedroom. “What the hell?”

“It’s not like we’re ending our friendship, we’re just not having sex anymore! Jug wanted to!” Betty tells Veronica, who continues to glare at Jughead.

“Who’s not having sex?” Kevin’s pops into the bedroom. Betty groans loudly.

“Please help me out!” Betty sends a pointed look to Jughead and he clears his throat.

“Ronnie, we’re fine. It’s better this way.” Veronica’s eyes soften when she looks at Jughead, sensing that he’s about to get wrecked after Christmas.

“I remain unanswered, guys!” Kevin pipes up.

“Betty and Jughead are breaking up!” Veronica says, louder than expected.

“It’s not a breakup if we weren’t even together!” Betty raises her voice as Jughead stares at her, with this somber look on his face.

They hear commotion and in moments, their friends are all in Betty’s room. “Bughead is over?!” Cheryl gasps, upon arrival.

“Just shut up, everyone!” Betty yells and suddenly everyone freezes. The tension is palpable as they all look at each other then back at Betty, then at Jughead who is gazing at Betty so intensely it makes them feel like they’re intruding. “I don’t want to talk about this, so please, move on.” Her voice is icy, the usual tone she uses when she doesn’t want to let people in, Jughead reads it perfectly.

Jughead looks at her then at their friends. “Guys, please just go to the living room. We’ll be there in a second.” Everyone obeys, closing the door when they leave, making their way back to the living room. “Are you okay?”

She nods. “I’m fine.”

“Betty.” He frowns.

“What’s there to be upset about, right?”

He sighs. “Right.” She moves past him and out the door before he can say anything else.

New York feels a little colder than it ever as when he stares out the window to collect whatever emotions are spilling out of him.

That night, when their friends are all gone and the fireplace is dying out and it’s just them, he reaches for her when he steps close enough after leading their friends out of the door. With his hands on each side of her hips, he pulls her to him, lips crashing into her and she leans into him.

When he pulls away to stare at her, like he’s memorizing the details of her face, she can’t handle it, so she ignores it with a kiss. They ignore everything with each touch, as they end up in her bedroom, clothes discarded on the floor, emotions placed in the desperate need for release. She ignores the way her name sounds on his lips. He ignores the urge to tell her he loves her.

Staring at herself in the mirror, in the bathroom, after she cleans herself up, she tries to figure out why her throat feels so tight. She only wishes her reflection would tell her something other than what her heart, clouded with denial, is telling her. With only an answer in sight, she makes her way back to her bed and dreams away the gut wrenching feeling she gets when Jughead holds her a little tighter than ever before.

*

Betty’s not stupid enough not to notice how strange everything feels ever since ‘THE TALK’, as she was now naming it. It was enough having to figure why the hell she was so fucking upset about Jughead’s suggestion and why the hell he looked at her like she’d shot a puppy when he’d been the one to bring it up. And fine, she knew, very well, that they’d have to end “it” someday, she had just expected it to be natural, not like ripping off a band aid. They’d agreed that it would happen after Christmas, but it was weird how the energy had shifted between them. Like they had to make the most of it while they could. The self-imposed deadline looming over them.

She definitely hadn’t complained when Jughead took every opportunity he got to have his way with her. It was a bit erratic and a little different than before, even if the pace of their sex life had never been slow, now it was hungry. She loved it when he took his time with her, worshipping every bit of skin on her body, but she also loved this, the hunger, the lust for each other. They hadn’t left their apartment since their early-Christmas and it had been wholly satisfying. It really is the time to give and Jughead was giving her his all. Merry Christmas to her.

“Betts?” His voice lures her out of her train of thought about the shower they’d just had.

“What?”

“I asked if we had everything?” Jughead questioned, looking at the trunk of their car.

Betty nods. “Yeah, everything’s checked off the list.”

“Alright, then. Riverdale, here we come.” He smiles softly and she smiles back. “I’m dying for burger from Pop’s.” Jughead sighs dreamily once they’re in the car.

“I know. Remember that one time we got so high and you had like four burgers in a row?” Betty laughs.

“Five burgers, don’t insult me.” He jokes, chuckling. “We could repeat a bit of that.”

“Do you think Moose still plants weed?” Betty wonders out loud. “God, his house parties were so weird.”

“I know.” There’s a pause and the memory of Moose’s last house party comes to mind, more specifically his bathroom and Betty doesn’t bring it up, choosing to keep the memory in her mind. They were still in the beginning then, so bathroom sex would probably count as the wildest they had gone. Those two kids would never imagine how far they had gone now. Well, they researched about the whole realm, but they never would’ve believed they’d gone through with and liked some things.

After going through her playlist and then his, they’re two hours away from Riverdale. The drive is nice enough, they aren’t exactly as talkative as usual, but Betty decides not to overthink things and go through with making Christmas joyful and making the best of their time as whatever they were. She really wanted to go back in time.

“Tell you what, how about a date at Riverdale High’s football field tomorrow afternoon. You and me, back in time?” Jughead smiles at her.

“On the bleachers?”

“Always.” He lets out a breathy laugh.

She feels like she stares at him a little too long before answering but her voice comes out strong when she tells him: “It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Chapter!!! Tell what you think! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story and I can't wait to tell you the rest of it all! Leave a comment please!


	6. A Vial of Hope and a Vial of Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Long time, no see! I've had a lot going on recently and I've been a little too down and haven't been feeling that inspired to write. But even so, this is the next chapter. I'm not incredibly happy about it, but it's here and I hope you see something worth reading in it! Or not, who knows...but tell me what you think, your thoughts on our beloved idiots.
> 
> Lots of Love xx

6

_Riverdale, The Town with Pep._

When they pass by the sign, signaling their arrival in Riverdale, Jughead feels as though his throat’s a little tighter. He’s sure Betty sees right through him, but he also knows when she ignores it. He knows it’s pathetic. As if they don’t know each other like the palm of their own hand. She’s not happy. And she’s not talking to him and he’s not being honest with her. He’s not being honest with himself either.

The worst part of it all is the certainty that if he tells her now, that he loves her -that he’s _in love_with her- she’ll clam up. She’ll push him away, like she does when she’s not ready to face something. Classic Betty mode. The reality in which he tells her, goes a little like this: he pours his heart out, she shuts him off and ignores him in their own home. Then it all falls apart, either she moves out or he moves out and their life together goes up in flames.

He can’t risk losing her, even if all he gets is the next week to love her all he can.

Jughead has never pictured his life without Betty. His future isn’t his without her. It’s always been them. In treehouses and in sandboxes, from prom, from high school to college. There isn’t any important memory that isn’t tainted by her presence in his life. And he wants it to be that way. It’s Betty, his Betty. They grew up together, they live together. He never wants to think of a reality where he doesn’t get to hold her, where they don’t have dinner together with a nice bottle of wine, smiling and laughing.

He can’t and he won’t risk it.

So, when they arrive in Riverdale, they jump across and into their own little bubble town of memories, where loving each other isn’t doomed to fail, because there, people thought they were living their happily ever after. Childhood best friends, high school sweethearts now the loveliest couple, the most in love couple.

“Alright, JB’s saying her, FP and Polly are at Pickens Park with the kids. She’s asking if we wanna meet them there.” Betty tells him, exiting the bathroom as he’s lying on the bed.

“They left early. What time is it?” He yawns, then looks at her. She’s wearing nothing but a towel, hair wet and an ethereal vision, angel like with a dash of hellfire.

“Ten. The moms are at the Spa. I let you sleep in. You drove most of the way, yesterday.” She smiles softly, placing her phone on her bedside table. He stays silent, wrapped in the vision that is the woman he gets to see like this. Looking back at him, she furrows her brows. “What?”

“We have the house to ourselves.” He smirks.

“You’re insatiable, wasn’t this week enough?” She raises her eyebrow, as he crawls across the bed to her. Placing his hands on her hips, he laughs. “Wanna unwrap this early Christmas present?” She winks.

He snorts. “Idiot.” Crashing his lips against hers, he pulls her down on the bed. “You drive me crazy, you know that?” She ignores how intense his gaze feels, as she’s been doing the past week and lets herself get lost in his touch.

His name escapes her lips like a mantra, a quiet desperation for his love and to somehow want him closer. When he comes undone inside her and she pulls him against her chest, breathing heavy, clinging for dear life, nothing’s ever felt more intimate, to feel him with her. His heart beating against hers and she swears, she doesn’t know what it is. But she cries. Silent tears stream down her face. And it’s a bit like a slap in the face to feel this way and she hates every moment of it. It’s not supposed to feel this way.

“Betts?” He murmurs, watching her. “Are you crying?” Betty pushes him off of her, climbing out of bed and into the bathroom. “Betty? What the hell?”

“I’m fine.” She calls back.

“Did I hurt you?” The concern in his voice makes her heart ache. “Shit, Betty, why are you crying? Open the door.”

She unlocks the door and he walks in, eyes on hers. “I don’t like this.” She murmurs, forehead on his bare chest. “You’re pushing me away.” Her broken voice tears him apart, so he holds her.

He swallows the lump in his throat. “I’m not, Betts. I think I’m doing the opposite.”

“I don’t want us to stop.” She confesses, looking up at him. “We don’t have to.”

Sighing, he places his lips on her forehead. “It’s for the best. This has to end sometime, right? We’re not kids anymore, Betts.”

“We were good, weren’t we?”   
  


“And we’ll still be good. After Christmas. We’ll talk then. When we go back to New York. We can forget about all this, until then, Betts.”

*

Betty laughs loudly, watching Jughead try to ice skate around the rink. JB was trying to help but Jughead looked more like a baby giraffe on the day of its birth. For the first time, Juniper had managed to rope him into trying ice skating, something he usually refused to do, all with a sweet smile and then a pout when he said ‘no’ the first time, effectively bringing him onto the rink. Only having tried once before in New York, which had ended with a sprained ankle on the first foot he set inside the rink, he was definitely close to terrible at it. Which, all in all, made for a much more enjoyable ride for Betty.

“Jughead, you’re supposed to skate, not walk on the ice!” JB shook her head at her brother. “Come on, just try to glide, Forsythe!” His sister smirked, as he glared at her. “Betty, come help your man. He’s hopeless!” JB called out to her as she skated around with Juniper. Betty skates over to where Jughead is, still laughing at him. “Juni, come on, let’s go faster!” JB grins.

“Not too fast!” Polly yells from the sidelines, shaking her head at JB.

Betty comes near Jughead, wrapping an arm around his waist with a grin. “Hold my hand, Jug.” She giggles, as he laces their fingers together once she lets go of him.

“This is exactly why I always refused. Goddamn you, Coopers.” He shakes his head, but there’s a fond look on his face as he glares at his best friend.

“Oh, you big baby.” She rolls her eyes. “Come on, let’s see if we can get you to do one lap then we’re going to the food stands.”

He perks up at that, grinning widely. “This is why I keep you around. You always know when my hunger strikes.” Holding her hand, he tries to move forward without her pulling him on, but he resigns himself to the fact that he was not made for this. Jughead decides he was made for hot chocolate by the fireplace with Betty in his lap, reading him drafts of her new book, which is what they should be doing instead of this.

“Baby, no.” Betty laughs. “You have to lift your feet and then move forward, otherwise you’ll just go backwards, Jug.”

“Elizabeth, I have the coordination of a baby panda, I don’t know how to move my feet.” He groans and she pulls him towards her, smiling up at him and then kissing his lips, lingering for a second, leaving him a bit dumbfounded. All he’s getting nowadays are mixed signals from her. She never kisses him in public, he’s not at all used to the idea of being kissed by her outside of their apartment. First, she’s crying when they’re done having sex, then she’s kissing him in an ice rink for all of Riverdale to watch. He loves her, but for god’s sake it’s a bit infuriating that he’s supposed to be letting go of her, yet all she’s doing is pulling him closer. “What was that for?”

“Nothing.” She smiles. “I quite like pandas.”

_Goddamn you Betty Cooper._

*

Turns out, Moose still has homegrown weed, this time though, it’s in his own apartment. Moose is High School teacher, in their lovely Riverdale High, who still likes to get high. He’s all laughs as he invites them into the apartment, and they catch up on all they’ve missed. It’s been a few years since they’d seen each other. Moose doesn’t really question them about them and Jughead wonders if most people from Riverdale think of them together as the default, like he often does in his mind.

Moose gifts them the weed as a Christmas present and they drive to Riverdale High. It hasn’t changed at all. It’s deserted at this time, almost sunset and since it’s a holiday it’s likely to be empty until school starts back up again. He holds her hand and they walk in silence up to the bleachers. He remembers Betty Cooper, as a cheerleader in this field. Beautiful Betty that he got to kiss and hold and get lost in. He’d come to the games mostly because she was there and would promise him Pop’s afterwards (mostly for her). He should’ve realized he was probably in love with her sooner. He probably was in love with her then too, if only he’d been smart enough to realize it and put a stop to what they were. Now here he was, unable to get her out of his system.

“Should I roll it or should you?” Betty questions, as they sit down.

“Betts, are you kidding me? You are the pro here, no one else.” He jokes and she laughs softly, pulling out the paper and the filters. “It feels so hallow, doesn’t it?”

“What?”  
  


“This place.” He says. “It’s kind of like that in my mind too.”

“I don’t know, I’ve always thought back on high school with good memories. Life was simple.” She tells him and he hums in agreement. “And it was fun, no complications, we just worked on the paper, went to some parties, took SATs and just hung around with not many responsibilities. Just kids.”

He glances at her with a soft smile. “I wouldn’t go back.”

“No?”

“Nah, we had a good run. I love my life as it is right now, with you and our apartment and listening to you complain about writer’s block and our friends. Adult life isn’t so daunting anymore.” He chuckles. She watches his face, takes in his words and the possibility of change is awfully terrifying. If he loves his life so much, why want to change it? They could just stay the way they are, now, with every bit of who they were.

*

_Jughead doesn’t love going to football games. He’s never understood it or liked it enough to be interested to try and understand. Archie is the quarterback, though the only reason he really knows what a quarterback is, is because Betty made him do a full report one time for a story. She never gave him any stories about or relating to football ever again, he believes her words were: “So void of passion, it felt like reading a shopping list.” The poetic writer in her had been hurt by the lack of effort to even make it the tiniest bit of exciting. He had told her she was the fictional writer, not him and while Betty could probably make Mrs. Gertrude’s History class feel like a magical adventure on paper, he needed something other than his imagination for the story to be written. She was the one who wrote any article relating to football which was every game, where she was cheerleading. The mind of that girl was a wonder. He had no idea how in the world she managed to be so cheery while storing information in her head about the games. A true talent. He’d never be able to do it again. _

_Still, he’s here, watching the last football game of the season after one Elizabeth Cooper bribed him with Pop´s and sex. He’d never deny himself the pleasure. After a year and half of navigating a healthy sex life with her, since their first time together, he can say with certainty that there is little he prefers to be being with her. And though he doesn’t love football games, he does love Betty’s cheerleading outfit and that, in itself, is a reason to sit through a football game, thinking of leading her to the janitor’s closet near the girls’ locker room and have his way with her. _

_It is the first game of the season, the first game of their last year in high school and almost the whole school is there, cheering the Bulldogs on their first game, the beginning of their conquest for the title. Betty will for sure make that sound unbelievably heroic on the article she’s supposed to write about the game. _

_It’ll be a year of change for everybody. The most exciting change for them, for Betty and Jughead, would be their move to New York City. He was already dreaming of their probably shitty apartment, but heaven on earth, away from their beautiful small town, away from their families. A new chapter about to begin. He couldn’t wait. He’s also terrified, because it is college and adult life is daunting and overwhelming, but Betty lessens his fear because he knows he has her with him, they’ll support each other through everything. Just as she’s been doing since the day he was born, and she was already a screaming little baby. _

_“What’s the deal with you and Betty?” He hears Ben ask beside him. Ben’s a good kid, two years younger than him and Betty, smart and a good writer. They’d recruited him for the Blue and Gold. Jughead thinks the kid might have a crush on Betty, with the way he gets all flustered around her. It’s almost painful to watch, most of the time he can’t even get one sentence out without stuttering. Jughead gets it, Betty’s a gorgeous girl, paired with her intellect, she’d make any grown man cry. _

_“What’s the deal?” Jughead furrows his brows, diverting his attention from the game to Ben. “What do you mean?” _

_Ben gulps. “You know…are you, like, together?”_

_Jughead chuckles. “No. She’s my best friend.” _

_“Oh, it’s just that there are a lot of rumors…” _

_“There are rumors?” _

_“Yeah, that you’re actually together. Greta says Betty spends a lot of nights at your place and vice versa. And that you hold hands and stuff. And-”_

_“I wasn’t aware we were being watched.” Jughead says. “Why are you asking about it?”_

_Ben stumbles with his words, flustered. “I was wondering about asking Betty to homecoming.” _

_“Oh, we’re not going to homecoming, our family’s going on a getaway as Betty’s mom called it, so we’ve decided to skip.” He snorts and it takes him a second to realize that he may have hurt Ben a little. “Shit, Ben. I’m sure you can try prom.” _

_Ben looks down at his feet. “Nah, she’d never go with me.” He can’t exactly not agree to said statement but hopefully by prom Ben will have a crush on someone else. _

_“Don’t say that. You never know.” He tries to be comforting and looks back at the field where Betty’s cheering. She’s looking at him, a sly look on her face that makes him appreciate the sight of her cheerleading outfit. Blue and Yellow might be his favorite colors. Regaining his sense of decency, he turns to Ben. “You’re a great guy, Ben. I’m sure there are a lot of girls out there who’d love you as their date.” Ben doesn’t seem to believe him at all, but the conversation dies down and he tries to focus on the actual game instead of his best friend. The look on her face tells him she knows exactly what she’s doing as she throws little glances at him. _

_The game ends victoriously for the Bulldogs. And it ends up being a victorious night for him as well. Turns out, he’s not the one who pulls her into the janitor closet, she is, right after she exits the locker room and he’s waiting for her. It’s quick and fast, how she drops to her knees in front of him, pushes his pants down and takes him in her mouth. He decides that there is no way he’s finishing like this, so he pulls her up, pushing her against the opposite wall and is thankful for the easy access her skirt provides. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve mind blowing sex with this girl, but he never wants it to stop. Ever. _

_“So, do we have to stay long?” Jughead questions, with a smirk, as they walk to his motorbike. “Because I’d much rather be in your bedroom.”_

_“Do you really think I’d risk having sex in my house after last week?” Betty snorts. “If my mother ever catches us again, I’ll bury myself six feet under. I don’t know how that woman gets the timing so wrong.” _

_“She didn’t catch us.” He rolls his eyes, handing Betty her helmet. “She heard us and decided to wait until we were done to tell us she was home and that she hoped we were using protection.”_

_“Is she the only parent in the world who is happy her kid is having sex?” Betty groans, climbing in behind Jughead, holding onto his waist. _

_“It’s healthy, at least your mother doesn’t get flustered like my dad, even at the slightest mention that his son is having sex.” He laughs._

_“Not to worry, Jug. You know why?” She smiles. _

_“What?”  
  
_

_“This time next year, we can have as much sex as we want and be as loud as we want. In our apartment. In New York.” _

_*_

“Wouldn’t you say we had a good time here?” Betty smirks, puffing out a cloud of smoke and handing him the joint. “We had sex in the janitor’s closet, remember?”

Jughead laughs, shaking his head. “We were horny little shits.”

“You say that as if we aren’t anymore.” She says. “We’ve done a lot more than a janitor’s closet.” He smiles at her, laughing softly as they sit in silence, smoking, slowly becoming more hazed. “I’m pretty fucking happy right now.”

“You are?”

“I am. With you, in this moment. I wanna freeze it and save it and re live it again and again.” He places his arm around her, placing a kiss to her head, sighing softly. He’d tell her again and again, if he could. These moments were the ones he lived for. The quietness of being next to her, of never tiring of her smiles because it brought happiness to his heart.

“I really fucking love you.” He tells her, eyes locked on hers. She places her forehead on his, with a smile.

“I love you too.” She says. And he wonders if she means it like he does when she pulls away to take another drag.

*

Archie’s sat beside him. They’re in the Andrews’ backyard hanging out by the bonfire. He’s telling him something about Josie that Archie’s quick rambling has him understanding very little if not that his friend is obviously smitten and that they might be getting serious. He’s pretty sure it has something to do with music or sex or both, or something entirely different. Archie’s a bit like a puppy when he’s really happy, sometimes he has a hard time catching up. Betty’s a lot better at him at understanding their golden retriever of a friend. But she isn’t here, since her mother had whisked her off to a last-minute shopping spree which he had gladly saved himself from. All he knows and what warms his heart is seeing Archie so happy and that alone, even before meeting Josie, is enough to make him like the girl.

“I’m really glad you found her, Arch.” He tells his red headed friend with a sincere smile.

“Thanks, man.” Archie grins. “How are you doing? With the whole Betty thing?” His friend questions.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I always believed you guys when you said it was just sex, because I always thought you two were smarter than me.” He chuckles. “But our friends have made me pay a lot more attention and I think they’re right.”

Jughead sighs. “It’s not like it’s simple. It just can’t happen.”

“Isn’t it happening already, Jug?”

He gulps. “I can’t lose her over this.” Jughead murmurs and Archie softens, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Betty will push me away if I even try to tell her how I really feel.” The turmoil inside his head is making him go a little insane. Because of himself and because of her and the way she’s acted around him, always tugging him closer, always smiling against his lips, always making him hungry for her, just as much her body as her heart. “I’m done denying my feelings, that I’ve probably always loved her, and I always will. But maybe Betty doesn’t love me as much as I love her and I know that her fear of these big life changing feelings is bigger than just allowing herself to love like that.”

“It sounds like you’re both being idiots, but you know what? You can’t live without each other so one way or another it’ll work itself out.” Archie tells him and he’s glad someone’s that positive, because from his point of view, it all bursts into flames in mere seconds, as quick as Betty went from moaning his name in ecstasy to bursting into tears right underneath him.

*

The morning of Christmas, Jughead wakes to vanilla scented hair, soft skin pressed against his and most of all, for the first time since his decision, he feels at peace. Dagwood and Juniper had been the ones to rouse him from his sleep, their excited chatter waking the house as they ran past their bedroom. Betty’s wrapped up around him, still asleep, in her childhood bedroom, in the same bed they lost their virginity to each other.

He watches her face, peaceful, younger, memories littering every corner of the room. Pictures in frames and memories of climbing up her window, of her coming undone for the first time on his lips, of all that they had lived in quiet old Riverdale.

“It feels early.” He hears her voice, clouded with sleep. “Why are you awake?”

Chuckling, he presses a kiss to her head. “Dag and Juni woke me up.”

“Of course, they did.” Betty sighs. “Hellions.”

“I’m guessing they’ll be here to get us out of bed violently in a few minutes.” Betty only snuggles in closer, groaning. “Hey…” He murmurs, only hearing her hum in response. “Merry Christmas.” He smiles softly and she looks up at him, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Her soft kiss brings back the memory of the countdown and he sinks into her further.

“Merry Christmas, Jug.” She whispers. “Think we still have some time?” She smirks and he laughs quietly, as she rises to straddle him. Grinning, she places her lips on his in a slow kiss to which he responds to eagerly.

“Your 16-year-old self would blush, Cooper.” Jughead teases, hands firmly on her body.

“Yeah? Your 16-year-old self would combust right now.”

“You are not wrong.” He says against her lips, as grinds on him. “Thankfully, I already know what you look like naked.”

“Uncle Jug, Aunt Betty!” The twins barge in and they jump away from each other, lying side by side. “Everyone’s awake! It’s present time!” They squeal, running to jump on the bed.

“Guys, guys, guys! Woah! Careful!” Jughead scolds them and they laugh loudly. “Don’t you think you two are getting a little too old to jump on our bed like this?”

“It’s Christmas!” Juniper grins.

“Yup, we’re allowed.” Dagwood says.

“Okay, okay! We’ll be down in a second. Off our bed now, kids.” Betty tells them with a smile and as they run downstairs, leaving the door open, she groans. “I don’t know how Polly does it.”

“With a lot of patience, obviously.” Jughead grins.

*

Neither of them remembers their first Christmas together. It’s an odd thing to think about. That there has never been a Christmas in their lives where they hadn’t been together. Either in Riverdale or up in Lake Placid where Hal’s family had a lodge, their Christmases had always been with each other.

They no longer went to the lodge, since it became too obvious that Hal wasn’t coming, and it still felt strange without him there. It wasn’t that his presence was incredibly welcome. Betty had especially strong opinions about him showing off his new girlfriend to them whenever he joined them in the lodge. The look on Alice’s face always twisted her stomach in ways that made her want to punch her dad in the face. And either way, with three more people or four if you count Hal, it was clear they had outgrown the space. So, Riverdale was now the place to go for Christmas and Hal would usually pop by New York to give Betty and Jughead their presents, by New Years.

The traditions however still remained, especially since Juniper and Dagwood were born, little childhood things the kids had outgrown was suddenly more exciting after the twins. The first order of business were the presents. Betty felt so excited every time she picked out the kids’ gifts, Jughead got a kick out of picking presents that would simultaneously make the kids excited and usually screaming around the house and make their parents exasperated at what it would entail for them.

“Dag, this one is from us!” Jughead grins as he brings the box from the living room closet where it had been hidden. Dag’s present had been expertly chosen by Jughead, who had ordered it. Betty knew the look on her sister’s face would be priceless and her best friend’s satisfaction a wonderful bonus.

The boy gasps. “What is it?”

“Open it, come on!” Betty laughs, urging him on. Dagwood tears the wrapping paper, his eyes widening as he lets out a scream.

“You got me an X-Box?!”

Polly narrows her eyes at them. “You little shits!” The whole room laughs, as Dagwood is still excitedly reciting every game they had gotten him. “When you two finally decide to have children, I will get my revenge! Just you wait!”

They ignore her comment as Jughead goes to pick out Juniper’s gift. “We may have heard about your biggest wish nowadays from your mom and we got you this.” Betty explain with a huge smile on her face, Juniper’s grinning back at her, unable to sit still as Jughead places the present on the floor. “Go on!”

Much like her brother, the wrapping paper is thrown around the carpet and Juniper gasps, tears forming in her eyes. “A guitar?”  
  


“Oh, baby don’t cry!” Betty laughs softly as Juniper jumps to her and Jughead, hugging them both.

“Thank you so much.” The girl says.

“You’re welcome, princess!” Jughead chuckles, pressing a kiss to her head. She smiles, widely up at him and then goes back to opening the rest of her presents.

The kids open all their presents and as always, the previous generation goes next. Polly, Betty, Jughead and Jellybean. The latter is immediately excited by the present Jughead and Betty give her, it’s a box of old records and a record player, something she had talked about and they knew she’d love. Polly’s gift from them is a necklace with Juniper and Dagwood’s initials and few books they knew she’d like. What was left was their gifts for each other.

Jughead had searched for her gift for ages, ever since Christmas last year when he got the idea. One of the books that made Betty go down the path of Science Fiction and Fantasy was ‘A Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley, so he’d decided to try and find a first edition and the opportunity came to buy it at an old bookstore in LA, where he’d been for an article, he didn’t hesitate to buy it for her.

“Is this a first edition?” She gasps, eyes wide as he smiles at her reaction, exactly what he was hoping for.

“It’s signed too.” He chuckles softly.

“No way. This must have been a fortune, Jughead. You shouldn’t have!”

“No, I had to, Betts.” He tells her, placing a kiss to her cheek. She throws her arms around him, pecking his lips. He masks his shock of being kissed by her in broad daylight, even as soft as it might’ve been. His confusion is still wrapped around his heart, but today isn’t a day for pain or sorrow, it’s a celebration of love and he decided to bask in every bit of her, so that’s what he’ll do until he can’t have her.

“I love you.” She smiles, squeezing his hand in hers as their family try not to intrude on the intimate moment they were sharing. “Thank you, Juggie.” He kisses her head and moves on to his present.

Her real present for him wasn’t in no way meant to be opened in front of their whole family. It was rather…private, one would say. Or highly inappropriate. She had gotten him a very interesting box of challenges, complete with a few toys that at the time, she had been eager to enjoy. The present had been in sitting in her closet for a couple of months, way before the whole ‘let’s end this’ conversation happened so she wasn’t sure the present even made sense anymore, so she went ahead and got him a camera, since he had broken his old one.

She’s still gifting him the box, when the get back. Maybe he can use it with someone else, when the time comes, even if it pains her to admit it. And she means that, it’s fucking painful, the actual truth of all that’s about to change has been slowly settling in her view of the future and she doesn’t know how to move past it. It. Them. Whatever it is, whatever she’s feeling.

Logically, she was aware they weren’t about to move out. They weren’t terminating their lifelong friendship - it was just the sex bit that was ending. But Betty’s already craving the intimacy. No one knows her better than he does. And no one knows better than Betty the feeling of craving his arms, not even sex but the way he’d hold her after, the blissful feeling of just being and breathing with him. The way they take baths together and she feels his skin on hers. The way he’s so gentle when he washes her hair, when he kisses her shoulder and tells her how beautiful she is. He makes her feel wanted, as wanted as the first time in her pink bedroom, when he saw the first glimpses of her. Everything was new, and simple and yet they were about to complicate about a million other things.

It was beginning to feel a lot like a breaking point for them and as she looks around the room, at her family, at _their_family, she marvels at the version of them they know. Of the happy couple with a beautiful future life together.

And for the first time, she wishes for it all to be true. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Long time, no see! I've had a lot going on recently and I've been a little too down and haven't been feeling that inspired to write. But even so, this is the next chapter. I'm not incredibly happy about it, but it's here and I hope you see something worth reading in it! Or not, who knows...but tell me what you think, your thoughts on our beloved idiots.
> 
> Lots of Love xx


	7. Crisp Trepidation

“You’re both idiots.” Veronica rolls her eyes, sitting across from Jughead. “Why is it so hard for you to just suck it up? Watching this is making me nauseous!” She tells him, huffing. 

Jughead sighs. “She’s going on a date, Ronnie. A fucking date.” 

“Bet that feels like shit since you’re basically her husband.” Veronica challenges him. 

“Jesus Christ, Ronnie.” He shakes his head. “I encouraged her to do it. To prove that she could, that I’d be fine with it.” 

“I literally hate you, Jughead Jones.” Veronica can literally see everything in front of her and her two idiot friends cannot apparently. She could not understand how two people who loved each other could make this so hard for each other. “Weren’t you supposed to talk when you got back from Riverdale? Because I have your text message about right here.” 

“We were, yes but things got busy and I was away for two weekends in a row and she’s been having regular meetings for the book and it’s just been busy.” He explains, taking a bite of his burger. 

Veronica narrows her eyes at him. “And you could find time to tell her it was fine for her to date but not that you love her?”

“He asked her out!” He argues. Veronica was definitely worse than ever, which probably made her the best lawyer in her firm but god, he wishes he could go back in time before all these realisations came to be alive in his mind. “And I have no say in it! I just told her that we weren’t bound to each other and there was no reason for her to ask me about it!” 

“Tonight, right?” Veronica asks softly, after silence takes over for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. 

Jughead runs a hand through his hair, nodding. “Tonight, yeah.” 

“Do you want to come over or we can go out for drinks? Call Archie or something?” She tries. At the very least, he didn’t have to be in the house when this guy came to pick Betty up. 

“I have work. A deadline till midnight. No getting out of that.” Jughead tells her. “Fucking Sebastian. Can he get any more pretentious? My god, I bet he went to Harvard or some shit, probably has a house in the Hamptons.” 

Veronica can not hide her amusement, but she lets him speculate on this Sebastian guy, while she tried to figure out a way to bring them back together. 

•

He arrives home to her fixing her hair in the hall mirror. She looks beautiful, of course she does and if this were a few months ago, he’d wrap her up in his arms and she’d kiss him and he’d be in a blissful haze for the night. But he can’t do that anymore because she’s about to go on a date with Sebastian, whoever he is. 

“Hey.” She manages a small smile, as he takes his jacket off. 

“Hey, ready for your date?” 

“I guess.” She mumbles, moving to sit on the couch, as he makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water. “How was work?” She questions as he sits down on the armchair to her right. 

He shrugs. “Fine. You get any writing done?” 

“Not exactly.” She sighs softly. 

He’s watching her as she writes out a text message to who he imagines to be Sebastian. He can’t help but feel curious about how this happened, where they met, what he did to make her say yes. He decides to just ask, at the risk of being nosy and annoying, but he needs to know. 

“So, how did that happen?” He asks, lamely, cursing himself silently. She looks up from her phone, brows furrowed, confusion present on her face. “Jasper?” 

She lets out a soft chuckle. “Sebastian, you mean.” 

“Yes, him.” He breathes out. 

“He works for my publisher.” She tells him. “He’s asked me out plenty of times, I just...felt like saying yes, this time. Cause, we’re not...you know.” Betty shrugs, eyes on her hands. God, he hates this, her not even meeting his eyes when they’re having a conversation. 

“Sebastian.” He tests it out. “Fancy name. Ivy League dude?” 

Betty laughs softly. “You got it right actually. He went to Yale.” 

“Right.” 

“Yeah, that’s....yeah.” She breathes out softly. 

“Pretentious name. Fancy School. I bet he wears a suit.” He tries to hide his obvious jealously but it seems to go wrong by the way Betty scoffs, shaking her head. 

“You wanna say something?” 

He shakes his head. “Nope, I’m good. You have fun. I have an article to finish so it’s-“ 

She cuts him off. “Cause if you do have anything to say to me, go for it. You don’t have to be a dick about someone you don’t even know.” She snaps. 

“What did I say that was so wrong?” He tries to defend himself, but knows she’s right. He is being a dick. Because the thought of Betty with someone else is sending him up the wall.

“It’s the way you said it.” She throws at him, eyes glaring. “But fuck that anyway, I have to go.” And just like that, she gets up from the couch without a another word. And leaves him alone. 

•

They don’t go on another date. Betty thinks Sebastian is nice, he’s really nice. He’s smart, he can hold a conversation and she even has fun at dinner but then when he tries to kiss her at the end of the night, she swerves and tells him that she doesn’t want them to be more than friends. The thought of kissing him feels entirely wrong and she hates that during the entire dinner she was making comparisons to Jughead. Because it was nowhere near how she felt when she was with him, Sebastian wasn’t Jughead, not in the slightest. And that was the part that she was scared of admitting to herself. That there would be no one to love her like he does, to know her like he does. And to be known like that is something she knows will be impossible with anyone else. It terrifies her l because she doesn’t know when she let her soul be so intertwined with Jughead, it seems impossible to untangle. 

She fully plans on talking to him, on figuring out whatever it is that is ruining them, with him. She needs to sort out the mess in her head first, make a decision over what will happen next. What she feels, if she’s ready to face it is a big if. 

But Jughead is off to LA on a new assignment for three days and they don’t talk. She doesn’t call and he doesn’t call either. She goes out to dinner with their friends, she has a girls night with Veronica alone where she repeatedly tells her how dumb the both of them are, which isn’t exactly helpful in her case. It doesn’t soothe her mind. She feels as though for the last week she’d been overtly emotional over everything, she’d even slept in his t-shirt like some love sick schoolgirl. Her mind was scattered, her heart was telling her to just go for it. They could lose each other in the midst of all this. And she couldn’t bear the thought. 

When Jughead gets back, she gets a spurge of inspiration and the words don’t stop spilling onto the blank page she had stared at for weeks. But Jughead is busy and she almost forgets their predicament entirely, caught up in the book. 

A week later, she’s glad he’s been busy. 

A week later, her mind is spinning out of control. 

A week later, she knows it’ll break them. 

So she ignores him.

Until the phone call. 

The words register fast enough for her to realize what’s happening and when she turns off the phone, she tries calling Jughead but there is no answer. She tries, fifteen minutes go by and he’s still not picking up. Then she hears his keys on the door and he looks surprise to see her. 

“Hi.” He mumbles, Messenger bag dropped on the floor by the hall table. His brows furrow at the look on her face and he steps closer. “What is it?” He questions. 

“Juggie,” she pauses. “There was an accident.” Her words and her eyes filled with tears make his stomach drop. He wants to go back under the covers, go back to this morning and not hear a word of what she has to say. “It’s your dad.” She chokes out. “He’s in surgery right now, but it’s-“ She cuts herself off as she reaches for him and he sinks into the comfort her arms always bring, comfort he’s missed. “I’m so sorry, Juggie.” She whispers. “I’ll drive, okay? I already packed a few things for us, so we’ll just go. Is that okay?” 

He nods. “Yeah, Betts.” He stands there for a second, trying to pull his shit together enough to actually do something useful. He’s always been shit when tragedy strikes, he always freezes as soon as anything happens. Like when you drop a glass and instead of trying to catch it, your reflexes don’t kick in and you just watch it fall. That’s how he feels. But he has Betty and Betty’s the person who catches the glass and she’s the person that cleans up the shards of glass if there’s no chance to catch it.She’s the person that had already packed for them while she waited for him to come home because his phone was dead. And she’ll drive and she’ll hold his hand while feeling the same pain because FP is as much of a father to her as he is to him. 

“How bad is it?” He dares to question once she comes back with their bags. He can see it in her face that it’s bad, it’s really bad. “Is he going to-“ 

“We don’t know.” She cuts him off firmly. “He’s in surgery, there hasn’t been any developments. I don’t-“ He can see the agony in her eyes and he doesn’t want to break down without knowing anything for sure so he looks away, as they run down the stairs. 

“It’s okay.” He says. As they make their way to the car, Jughead realizes that’s this is the most he’s spoken to Betty in the last three weeks. And it angers him that today is the day that they talk. Today. The day his father’s in an accident. 

Betty dumps their bags into the trunk as he climbs in the passenger seat. He’s sure she’s as fucked up as he feels right now but Betty has always been able to put on a brave face and push through enough to actually get somewhere and break which is usually with him holding her. And fuck, he loves her, he loves her so much and feeling her slowly slip away from him hurts more than anything because today is the first time she’s held him in her arms in weeks and it’s like being back on his own personal drug after going through withdrawals. 

But his father’s in the hospital and it’s not looking so good and all Jughead can think about is his sister and his mom and never seeing him again. All he can think about is all the times he said no to breakfast with his dad because he wanted to sleep in. He thinks about how much his father wanted him to take up a sport and he never did it. FP wanted to go to Paris and Jughead thinks that he can afford to take him now and that he should have before because there’s so much left to live. They have more memories to make and more Christmases and birthdays and it’s his dad. 

His dad. 

He used to hide behind his legs, a shy little boy, when a stranger talked to them and when a dog was too big. He used to wake him in the middle of the night to check for monsters under his bed. His dad has more to live. He wants to see grey hairs on his head and watch him be stubborn. He’s not supposed to die now, he still needs to call him for advice on too many things. He needs him. It’s not fair. It’s supposed to go down like this. 

Betty keeps talking because that’s her way of handling their car ride. He knows she’s pushing the speed limit and he sees her knuckles turning white as she grips the steering wheel. She talks about memories, from the time she can remember to just this year’s Christmas and Jughead desperately wants her to shut up because his dad can’t die and Betty’s talking like he’s already a memory and he can’t unpack that and he needs her to shut up. He doesn’t want to have this conversation, as if there’s nothing to be done 

“If he dies, he’ll have died with a lie we’ve fed him for half of my life.” He interrupts her hour long monologue. The temperature drops inside the car, he can feel her still, her sharp intake of breath. 

“He’s not gonna die.” Betty says, shaking her head, as if trying to think positive, as if she’s shaking away any negative thoughts. As if it’ll make a difference. “We barely even know what’s happening.” 

“Why have you been ignoring me for the past three weeks?” He throws at her. Her head snaps towards him and he can see that she falters as she looks at him, not expecting the sudden shift in the conversation. 

“Now is not the time to talk about this.” She says, looking away from him and at the road. 

“It never is, is it, Betty?” He hisses. 

“Fuck you, Jughead. We’re literally on our way to a hospital where your father’s in surgery and you really want to have this conversation right now?” She questions, her temper rising. Every single thing she’s feeling is slowly building up and she wants to get out of the car. She longs to just get out of this, ignore for a little longer. 

“Yes, as a matter a fact. For the first time in weeks, I have you trapped in a car for three hours so might as well make the most of it since you can’t make an excuse to get out of having this conversation.” His way of putting things, makes her skin crawl, because he’s right. She has been avoiding him and she hates him for being right because everything about this day feels wrong. 

“Jughead-“ 

“No, really. If all we ever were to each other was sex, please tell me, because then I spent a decade of my life not knowing my best friend was just a fuck buddy!”

“Don’t do that! You fucking know what you are to me!” She tells him angrily. 

“Really? Because I sure as hell don’t know right know!” Jughead spats. “Ever since we came back, you’ve been ignoring me! All I’ve wanted these past few weeks was just my friend! We haven’t had dinner together in ages, you’ve been locked in your room every time I get home! Might as well just go for it and move out, Betty!” He shouts at her. And she’s shrinking in her chair, trying to calm her breathing. “Maybe just cut every single tie you have with me! Let’s just go ahead and tell your mom and my mom and everyone else that it’s over! That there’s nothing left between us.” 

“Fuck.” Is all he hears before she pulls over on the side of the road and runs out, throwing up on the floor. His eyes widen as he climbs out of the car and runs to her, pulling her hair back. “Oh god.” She mumbles as she lurches over again. Jughead rubs her back, his heart beating a little too fast. The last few minutes had certainly been a rollercoaster of emotions and events.

“Are you done?” He asks quietly, as Betty stands straight, wiping her mouth. She nods her head and turns to go back to the car. “I’ll drive.” 

“No need, Jughead.” She says. 

“I’m driving.” He says, a little more firmly. “You okay or do you want to just sit in the car for a bit before going?” His caring nature brings a semblance of normalcy to her as he looks at her with a worried look on his beautiful face. 

“No, I’m fine. I feel better now.” She tells him, with a deep breath. He nods hesitantly and they walk back to the car, in silence. His eyes stay trained on her, to check for any signs that she’s not feeling okay but other than her disheveled hair, she seems fine so he starts the car and goes back on the road. Silence seems to have taken over them again. And it’s that way for a about thirty minutes, not even the radio on as they drive through the night. 

Her face is twisted in deep thought and he tries to focus on the road instead. Everything is bursting into flames before his eyes and he wonders what he did to deserve this? To be gradually losing his best friend, who he’s in love with. Have his father be in a car accident. When everything else is right, the best parts of life go wrong? It’s monumentally brutal and horrifying and he can’t quite graspthe thought of loss. He doesn’t know what he’s mourning anymore. 

“Jughead?” 

“Do you feel sick again?” He questions, already slowing the car. 

“No, I’m fine, I really am.” She says. “I just need to say something.” 

“Okay.” 

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you, I really am.” He only notices then that Betty’s crying and his heart drops. “I don’t know how to do this.” 

“What?” 

“Be so distant from you. I got too used to us and I desperately want it back, because I’ve missed you. More than you know. But something’s happening and I know for certain that this is not something you want and I’ve been slowly spiraling by myself.” She sobs. And Jughead feels himself start to spiral. She’s rambling, going around and around and not really saying what’s happening. He understands that she’s having trouble to actually say it out loud. But he needs to know what’s happening because there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, that he wouldn’t forgive. “And I’m fucking terrified, because for every scenario I’ve imagined, I always lose you. And I have been losing you these last few weeks but I just-“ 

“What? What is it? Betty, you’re freaking me out!” 

“I...oh god, Juggie.” She holds her hand to her mouth, as another sob escapes her. “I’m pregnant.” 

The silence that follows is every bit as deafening as sirens. And Jughead can see another glass falling, gravity making it shatter on the floor as he watches. He can’t quite make out what her words entail just yet, he can’t possibly untangle what that means and it’s terrifying and chilling and he doesn’t know what to do but keep his eyes on the road while Betty panics. 

“Just say something. Please, anything, I don’t care what it is.” She begs of him. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to happen. You don’t want kids. You never have and now this is...fuck, Jughead, just talk to me!” She cries and he looks at her. 

He breathes out, eyes wide, in shock or fear or both and it’s a little hard to breathe. It’s hard to even look at her. This was not how he thought this day was going to go. “I’m...taking it in. I need a minute. I-“ he stumbles, running a hand through his hair. “We’re in Riverdale.” 

She furrows her brows. “Jug-“ 

“We need to get to my dad.” He speaks as if he’s in a transe. And it sure feels like it too. The glass falling. And the world moves around it while he sits, quietly. It’s perpetually falling and he’s glued to his spot. It’s too much, everything is too much. 

Betty’s heart breaks, her breathing’s shallow and her chest hurts. And now that the words are out there, it makes it even more real than before. It was her secret, her own little suffocating prison. And now it’s his too and hers just got a little smaller, the guards are mocking her and her baby is inside it’s own little prison of warmth while its’ mother’s heart is running cold. 

Her heart is thumping in her ears as they walk quickly, inside the hospital. She barely registers Jughead asking for information, she just follows him to the elevator. He’s fidgety, tapping his foot on the ground in rapid movement and it make her grow more anxious. 

When the elevator doors open, she spots her mother first, where she’s sitting in the waiting room. They walk quickly to them, accepting the comforting hugs as they rushed to tell them what they knew.

There aren’t many developments. FP‘s still in surgery. All they know is that FP was the lucky one in the accident. The man in the car that had hit him was a drunk driver, in the middle of the afternoon, just speeding away with no care for anyone else. He didn’t make it, while FP was still fighting. There were a number of injuries to be treated, from the little they knew.

She’s never been too good at waiting. Her patience runs thin. Jughead has always been good at distracting her so the time goes by faster. Her professional man of distraction is clearly ignoring her with every bit of his being, sitting by his sister without even sparing her a glance, even her mother is sending her a look that clearly asks what’s happening. 

For the first time in her life, she can’t read his face. She’s always been good at knowing exactly where he stood in a second. Perhaps he’s overwhelmed. Perhaps she shouldn’t have told him about their predicament today, should’ve waited until FP was okay and they could have a real conversation about this. She doesn’t know what he’s feeling at all. Shocked is obviously but nothing other than that. Blank. 

Truthfully, she isn’t sure how she feels herself. She’s always wanted kids, in a faraway future. She hadn’t thought about it much, lately, if ever in a serious way. The timing was horrible. For plenty of reasons. The first being that her baby daddy was her best friend who she was probably in love with, the one who had decided they should pull away from each other to find a suitable life partner. The second, her family knew of nothing and thought she was in a wonderfully stable relationship. The third, she wasn’t planning on it, at all. 

The word mother was still foreign as a title for her. For the life of her, she couldn’t picture it just yet, being someone’s mom. It felt too big, to have someone that was half her, someone to teach all that she knew and hope for the best. The word father on Jughead was even more foreign. She knew perfectly well he didn’t want kids. They had talked about it on more than one occasion. His stance on children was crystal clear. And now, here it was. She was having his kid. The universe really had it out on her. 

“I’m gonna go get coffee. Anyone need anything?” Jughead announces standing up. 

“I’ll come with.” Betty says, gauging his reaction. When he remains emotionless she stand up and they start walking, side by side. Neither of them speak a word on the way to get coffee, but when they’re there and they’re waiting, she can’t take the silence anymore. “I need you to talk to me.” 

“Betty, I really don’t need this right now.” He rubs his eyes and she narrows her eyes. 

“I’m sorry for the fucking inconvenience, Jughead.” She scoffs. “I just need something other complete silence. I’m losing my mind.”

“Yeah, so did I. For the past month.” He snaps. 

“Fucking great.” She laughs bitterly. “I just told you I’m having your fucking kid and you wanna play that game?” The words leave like venom out of her mouth. “We’re not in college anymore, remember that?” 

She’s seeing red. Flaming hot red. And sure, Fair enough. She’d ignored him, because she’s not sure how to handle every feeling in her head and then two weeks ago, she found out she was pregnant and she didn’t know what to do with that. But she just wants for her best friend back, she wants him to hold her and tell it’ll be fine and that he’ll be there for her every step of the way. Not this. 

And Betty understands, his father’s in surgery and it’s the worst timing but she’s in pain too and they’d always been good at lifting each other up and now it feels like they’re just firing shots everywhere they turn. And she fucking hates it. 

“You know what? Suit yourself, Jughead.” Betty says, furiously wiping the tears off her face. “We’ll both be out of your hair in no time. I’ll move out.” Turning her back, she can’t stop the tears that just keep on coming, feeling as though a hole’s been carved out in her chest. It’s not supposed to feel like this, talking with her best friend shouldn’t leave her in this state. Angry and sad and empty. And the baby growing inside her doesn’t deserve this as the announcement of its existence. 

Betty always thought this would be the happiest she’d ever been. She hadn’t wanted her first pregnancy to leave her on the bathroom floor, alone and scared. She figured she’d be elated to tell her partner. But that conversation had been dreadful enough for her to feel wrong about everything. Jughead was her partner, in every way in her life. But if this was what broke them, maybe their bond wasn’t as unbreakable as she thought. The past few weeks had made her doubt it. 

She’s halfway through the corridor when she hears him call out her name, running behind her, but she doesn’t stop. Not until he gets to her and spins her around to meet.

“What?” Betty stares up at him. 

“I’m sorry.” Jughead murmurs. “I really am, Betty. I just...” With a sigh, he runs his hand through his hair. “Dad’s in surgery and you were ignoring me and I’ve been a little out of it. And I...I don’t know how to feel. All I know is that there’s too much happening at the same time and I’m just trying to figure out how to atone for all of it. You deserve better. You both do.” He glances down at her stomach and takes a tentative step towards and she lets him wrap his arms around her, his forehead against hers. The feeling of it is of immense relief, for the time in their very long day, she feels at peace for a second because he’s looking at her. Really looking and really holding her. And his arms will forever be her safe haven. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do. I just need to get through this day and then we’ll figure this out.” Sniffling, she buries her face in his shirt and he pulls her closer. “I’m so fucking scared, Betts.” 

“I know.” She breathes out, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “I know.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I’m back on this story after an awful writers block that nearly made me bang my head against a wall! But we’re all quarantined so guess what? I managed to finish this! 
> 
> Tell me what you think, please and if you have any requests for one shots let me know! 
> 
> Ps: Follow me on Tumblr, I’m always up for a chat - like-romeoandjuliet-love 
> 
> All the love xx


	8. Green Light

Alice staring at him like a vulture circling its prey and he hopes to god that he’s not about to be cornered into questioning. She’d already cornered Betty and although Betty had managed to escape it, he knew Alice wasn’t satisfied, she never was. For all her qualities, Alice could be nosy, not resting until she has all the facts, meddling, especially when she feels as though something’s wrong. It’s nerve wrecking, but Jughead understood that it came from a need to protect people.

There’s also the fact that,like Betty, Alice is prone to hyper focus on something else when there’s a situation that’s out of her control, like his dad on an operating table. Right now, that seems to be them. He guesses for the first few hours, they gave off some kind of energy that felt wrong, off and Alice was nothing if not observant.

Betty’s head is on his shoulder and he can’t quite describe the feeling of breaking the wall that’s been separating them for the past few weeks. The weight off his chest, even with everything happening, his little bit of heaven on earth in his arms was enough to make everything lighter.

“Betts, you should try to get some sleep.” He murmurs, pressing a kiss to her head.

She sighs. “I can’t.”

Nuzzling his nose against her hair, he closes his eyes for a second. “Just rest your eyes for a bit.” He suggests. “You need your rest. Especially now.” He murmurs, even lower and she looks up at him with an expression he can’t quite figure out. It’s a soft look, it reminds him of before, but it’s tinged with something else, swimming below surface, as if there was a peek into her heart in that moment. “Come on, I’ll be your pillow.” He tries to add lightheartedly and she smiles softly, snuggling closer, as he wraps an arm around her body.

“Jug?” She whispers after a few seconds.

“Yeah?”

“I really need him to be okay.” She confesses.

He swallows the lump in his throat and ignores the burning tears her words bring, instead he holds her tighter. “He will be. He has to.” He says. “Go to sleep, baby.”

Alice is still staring but she seems to soften after Betty closes her eyes. Jughead decides to rest his eyes as well for a bit leaning his head on Betty’s, wrapped up in her. Even in the most uncomfortable plastic chair of his life, with her, he feels better than he has in hours, it’s like her body brings him a sense of calm, a sense of belonging he’s sure no one else could ever come close to.

He’s still not sure how he feels about the...their situation? Their predicament? Their life changing bunch of cells growing every second inside the woman he loves? Their baby? Can he call it a baby? Theirs? Can he even stomach the thought? His mind is a scattered mess of feelings, and he’s trying to ground himself with one of his strongest feelings, his feelings for her, for Betty, the anchor that he had slowly been spiraling without for the past few weeks.

A child. A living breathing child that is half him half her. He’s never wanted kids, he knows as much, and his reasons as to why still stand. It’s simple. He’s never felt a connection to children, to the point of wanting one of his own, there’s no pull for him. He’s never been ashamed to admit it. There was never a time he even thought about wanting a kid. The only kids he ever truly spent time with were Juni and Dag. And although, he loved them to pieces and loved spending time with them, it only cemented that he didn’t want to have his own. He liked kids, he was good with them but not for himself. Not enough to raise one.

Betty, on the other hand, was certain that she wanted to have kids. For a while. And he knew she’d make a wonderful mother someday. Or now. Or A few months, really. Whatever she decided to do, he wouldn’t be the one to make the decision. He’d be there every step of the way, in whatever she wanted to do. As always. But the ball’s in her court.

Resting his eyes turns out to be an hour nap. He wakes to find his arms empty, Betty nowhere to be seen and Alice sitting next him. “She went with JB to the cafeteria.” Alice tell him quietly and he breathes out, leaning back and rubbing his face.

“Any news?”

“Nothing yet.” Alice frowns. “Are you okay?”

He shakes his head. “I’m a mess.” He wipes a tear away. “I know you think something’s wrong with Betty and I.” Alice appears to be surprised that he’s bringing it up.

“Is it?” She questions, rubbing his back.

Jughead sighs. “We had a fight on the way over, but we’re okay now. Well, almost, I think. I guess we’re all a bit on edge today.” He confesses. “I’d rather keep this between Betty and I. We still have to talk about it and I’d rather we just get through this day without adding onto everything.”

“Alright.” Alice nods. “But you’ll be fine, honey. You’ve never been able to be upset with each other for too long. Ever since you were little.”

Right.

FP Jones had been more of a father to her than her own. Since the day she was born, he loved her. And it wasn’t as though Hal Cooper didn’t love his daughter, he did. He just never loved her in the way a child needed to be loved. Hal Cooper loved his daughter, but he never put his daughter to sleep, never tucked her in and whispered his love with a kiss to her forehead. Hal Cooper kept to himself, he didn’t really talk to her about anything other than ‘how’s school?’ and ‘what do you want for your birthday?’.

There’s a photograph hung on her and Jughead’s apartment in New York of a newborn baby swaddled in pink in FP’s arms and next to it, taken three months later, a newborn baby boy in blue and a three month old baby girl with a beaming FP.

FP Jones loves her. When she was seven and enthralled by constellations and every planet and Jughead was in his dinosaur stage, he listened to her babble on and on about everything she’d read. He’d taken her to the roof to watch the stars when Alice and Hal fought below them and on her birthday, when Hal forgot, he had taken the whole family to the planetarium to celebrate.

At twelve years old, he’d been the one she talked to when her heart got broken for the first time. Her first boyfriend had kissed another girl and FP had been there to comfort her after Jug got suspended after punching little Ian in the face.

Her whole life was littered with moments where FP had taken care of her far more than her own father ever had. From when she was a toddler to a teenager to adulthood, moving into her and Jug’s first apartment together. Her and FP had long conversations on the phone every week, about everything and nothing and last week, she hadn’t called and she had missed his call. It was spinning around in her head and she couldn’t remember what it was they talked about the last time they talked. Had she told him how much she loved him? How much she appreciated everything he’d done for her?

FP was out of surgery. But he wasn’t out of the woods completely. The doctors had told them, the surgery took longer than they had anticipated because they couldn’t locate his internal bleeding. His knee was badly banged up, he’d had knee surgery too and it was mostly fixed now. A few broken ribs, a concussion. The chance for recovery is high, the doctors told them so, but they’re monitoring him in case something goes wrong.

“Hey,it’s...it’s Betty.” She murmurs quietly, gripping his hand. There were only two visitors allowed at a time and Jughead and Jellybean had gone together, at her insistence while Alice and Gladys visited together too and that left her. Alone and she’s glad that she gets to talk to him, to beg him to come back to them.

“I don’t know what to say.” She whispers, sniffling. “I just...I need you, FP. I was so scared when I got that call, I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life. I realized that I don’t think I tell you how much I love you enough. I really don’t.” She shakes her head. “But I love you. You’re as much my father as my actual father, even more. I can’t imagine not having our weekly call. And I have so much to tell you.” She says quietly. “You’re gonna be okay. You have too much to look forward to.” It’s unfamiliar, but her hand twitches, on its way to her stomach and she allows the instinct to unfold before her, hand rubbing her stomach through her shirt. “You’re gonna be a grandpa.” Betty laughs softly, through the tears. “And that’s privileged information right there. Jug is scared out of his mind, I can see it. I am too but...I think I’m getting used to the idea of a little baby. Even if the timing is all...wrong.”

Voicing those thoughts aloud feels a lot like relief, admitting to herself that she might actually be okay with this. Not this. With a baby, with their baby, that she wants their baby. The more she tries to put away all the thoughts that terrify her and thinks of what good will come out of it, the more she imagines what it’ll be like. And if she’s being honest with herself, she might be falling in love with the idea.

She’s always wanted kids but she had convinced herself that it’d take a few long years before she’d eventually have them. Because she wasn’t seeing anyone that could potentially be a life long partner, anyone she went on a date with paled in comparison to what she came home to.

And therein lies the issue. Nothing will ever compare to what her home is. And that happens to be her best friend. And now, the father of her child. And maybe,she hoped, he’d be more? She was now coming to terms with idea that she might actually be in love with him. She pictures her future and there isn’t one image without Jughead Jones. And it’s hard to allow herself to picture their baby, but the second she does, the onslaught of images takes her breath away, stuck in her throat. She imagines their whole family. How happy FP will be, how overjoyed her mother will feel, how Gladys will probably knit a little beanie the moment they tell her. JB will dub herself ‘the cool aunt’ and Betty knows their kid will think she is. And Polly will make them get those ridiculous baby outfits for Christmas. Dag and Juni would be happy to have a little one around and Betty can’t not love every single feeling that curses through her.

“You’re gonna spoil this kid so bad, I just know it.” She lets out a soft laugh. “And they will love so much.”

The door opening snaps her out and her heart is there, she sees Jughead with two coffee cups in his hands “Hey.”

“Hey.” She murmurs, as he comes closer. He places a kiss to her head before handing her a cup.

“I got you tea. I just...you probably shouldn’t drink coffee, right? I- I think I read that somewhere. Cause of the...um...yeah.” His cheeks flush and with messy hair and tired eyes, he looks absolutely adorable and the sentiment is not lost on her. He’d read something? Maybe it’s the hormones that will surely get worse over time but the tears well up in her eyes, which she manages to keep it in.

She grabs his hand, squeezing it. “Thanks, Juggie.”

“Visiting hours are almost up. My mom’s staying the night. Your mom suggested we go home.”

“Do you want to?” She questions.

“Yeah, there’s no use waiting around here and maybe a good nights sleep will do us good.”

“You’re probably right.” She nods.

He can sense her hesitance, so he comforts her, the same way he’s done his whole life. “We’re ten minutes away. Anything happens and we hop on the car and you can watch me suck at driving as always.” She smiles softly, bringing his hand to her lips and pressing a soft kiss to his skin, before standing up.

“Okay. Let’s go.” She walks up to FP, kissing his forehead. “Get back to us soon, FP.”

“You heard the woman, dad.” Jughead smiles softly, before taking Betty’s hand and lacing their fingers together. They walk out the door and down the hall to the waiting room, in silence. Jughead figures that for all that’s happened in the previous day, neither of them really want to do anything other than be. Time will come for talking but for now, the grip on his hand is enough.

“I’ll call if anything happens. You guys get some rest.” His mom hugs them both, an exhausted look on her face. “Alice took JB home, she’s staying at our place with her.”

Betty nods. “Okay.” She hugs Gladys again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, hun.” Gladys smiles softly. And Jughead kisses his mom’s head, murmuring his love before wrapping an arm around Betty’s shoulders, her lips twisting into a small smile. She looks tired, he’s sure she’s probably as tired as he feels but he doesn’t really know to what extent the pregnancy can affect her energy. Probably a lot. And this day had only made it worse. This day had made everything worse, if he was honest.

She holds onto him as they go down in the elevator, nuzzling into his chest, arms wrapped around his middle. He caresses her hair, feeling every inch of tension in his body lessen, back against the metal wall of the elevator and the girl he loves in his arms. It had been a long day. It had been the longest day of his life. And it had ended with a better hope for tomorrow. FP was gonna pull through and he and Betty would be fine.

They would be because he wasn’t planning on leaving her and because they couldn’t stop the wheel from turning once it was already in motion. Because he’s holding onto the way she holds onto him. Because nothing could ever break them. Because he’s going to keep doing what he’s always done. Love her, be there for her. No matter what. And that included whatever she decided to do about the pregnancy. He had a inkling as to what she wanted to do. Scratch that, he’s pretty certain of her desire to keep the baby. He knows her.

And he might not want children, but he would never not love Betty Cooper. And that meant every part of her.

He wakes up to Betty throwing up in the bathroom. It alerts him in a way no alarm clock ever had in his life. He leaps out of bed, throwing back the covers and sprinting to the bathroom. He reaches for her hair, pulling her hair back, while she vomits. “I’m sorry, baby.” He mumbles, rubbing her back.

“Jug, this is disgusting, go back to bed.” She argues and he scoffs.

“Not happening, Betts.” He says as she lurches over again. “Are you good?”

She leans back after flushing down the toilet. “I think so. I think that’s it for now.” She sighs, leaning back against the bathtub behind her. “Fuck me.” She groans.

“I’m sorry.” He murmurs, moving to sit beside her. “Do you want me to go get some water?”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s fine.” She breathes out. “I’m gonna brush my teeth, you can go back to bed, Jug.”

“Nah, I can’t sleep any more.” He says, shrugging. “And I think we should maybe talk about the elephant in the room.”

“You mean the strawberry?”

He lets out a soft laugh. “It’s a strawberry?”

“An inch of strawberry.” She nods, eyes soft looking into his. He reaches to grab her hand in his, interlocking their fingers together and let’s out a breath, caressing her hand with his thumb.

“What’s after the strawberry?” He questions and she chokes out a laugh.

“I don’t know. A lime?”

“A tangerine?” He offers and she leans her head on his shoulder. “So, you want it to become a tangerine? Gradually grow to bigger fruits or...?”

She laughs, shaking her head. “We’re supposed to be serious but you’re pretty bad at starting this conversation.” He’s looking at her, because even in her disheveled state, he sees nothing but beauty. He’ll never deny he loves her ever again. The promise he makes is ever so simple, he doesn’t even think of all the doubts he’d had before.

There’s a pause and they relinquish in it, enough time to gather their thoughts instead stumbling through what will probably be the most life changing conversation they’ll have. Betty stands up and brushes her teeth, he watches her with a newfound sense of peace in his heart.

_We’ll be okay_, he thinks. He’s incapable of not loving her. And that is that. That is all he needs. The rest will come and the world may burn, but he’s looked through the cracks of her perfection and his imperfect parts fit, just as hers in his. _We’ll be okay,_ he thinks. _Perhaps, strawberry can be my favourite fruit, even if I’ve never liked fruit in the first place. _

Betty heads for the window seat on the corner of her room and he follows, watching as she picks up his discarded hoodie with familiarity as if it’s her own. He sits in front of her and she smiles a small smile that brings him more comfort than she knows.

“I’m gonna have this baby.” She tells him. “I don’t think I could ever go through any other option. I...I want our baby, Juggie.” He had expected that this was what she wanted to do. He was prepared to go on a whole speech about how he’d be there every step of the way but his eloquence is brought down by her words. Our baby. “I know you don’t want kids. But I also know you’d never walk out on me. I just...this is pretty significant in the whole scheme of life, right?” Her green eyes bore into his and he just really wants to kiss her. His stance had already been taken before he’d even realised. Of course he’d be right there. If there’s a binding contract of 18+ years to Betty Cooper, he’ll sign it any day.

“If this is what you want, then I’ll out-dad every motherfucker who ever wanted kids.”

She laughs and it’s so pure. The lightness of what he thought would be their darkest hour blinds him. But he sees her, perfectly clear in this dream haze of a moment. “Betts, I’m with you. Always. I know this is complicated and a complete surprise. But I’m right here. I’ve been here since we were in diapers and I’ll be here for every diaper to come.”

Betty smiles and places her forehead against his, hands on his cheeks. “Okay. Good, that’s good.” She whispers. “Can we go to topic number two, which is kind of linked with number 1?”

He furrows his brows, pulling back to look at her. “What?”

“Us.”

“Us?” She nods, he squeezes her hand in his, his heart is nearly jumping out of his chest.

“I think these past few weeks have shown us something that we weren’t really seeing. And it appears that we’ve stumbled into a relationship that is slightly bigger than what we established as our previous one?”

He gulps down, nodding. “That.”

“Yes.” She murmurs. “You know every inch of who I am and you know my first instinct is to bolt when it comes to changes like this. But we’re a little past that. So, I’ve decided to stop lying to myself and say to hell with it.”

“Meaning?”

“That I want to have sex with you for the rest of my life but I also want to keep coming home to you.” He can see how nerve wrecking this is for her, how by admitting this out loud she’s renouncing every instinct in her body. And he might have fallen in love with her a little more. “That you’re not just my best friend, you’re the love of my fucking life.”

He breathes. “Holy shit, you’re...”

“Being incredibly blunt and just laying it out? I think it’s the hormones.”

He can’t help but laugh. “Oh my god.”

“So, what do you say? Want to stop pretending we’re pretending?”

The weight that’s lifted off his shoulders at that every moment can only be described as an out of body experience because this was not what he was expecting and he cannot wait for a lifetime of being surprised by Betty Cooper.

“Betty Cooper, I’m so fucking in love with you, I don’t think you understand.”

“I was scared to, but I really do.” She says, smiling. “I just happened to realize that nothing will really change.” She brushes a strand of hair off his forehead. “We’re going to continue having mind blowing sex, having wine in the bathtub and sharing the bills. Nothing has to change and I...I like that. We’re just being more honest, to each other and to ourselves. We’ve got a big enough change coming up, huh?” She lets out a shaky breath and he nods. “And that change will have some great fucking genes, but we can save that thought for another conversation.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “We’re very bad at serious adult conversations, Cooper.”

“Then kiss me, so I’ll shut up.”

He obliges dutifully.

Having the house to themselves while Alice is grocery shopping is enough to make them travel down memory lane and lie in bed afterwards, in each other’s arms, in peaceful silence. They still have a lot to figure out, but at least there isn’t any paralysing fear of losing each other, or complete panic over what’s to come.

Jughead feels as though the whole day they’d had, put things into perspective. FP almost getting taken from them made them realize the fragility of a minute. It could’ve all been different, had it been worse, had the doctors not been able to save him. And he realizes now more than ever how frail life really is and how you just have to make a run for it when there’s something you really love. The world had thrown them this curveball and now they would learn to play with it and have fun with the game.

“I’m really scared.” He confesses, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in. We’re gonna be parents.”

She kisses his chest, looking up. “I know. If it wasn’t for all the signs, I wouldn’t believe it.” She snuggles closer, breathing out, eyes closed. “I’m scared too. A lot. But I guess, it’s normal. Any new parent is.”

“Especially when you’re best friends who weren’t planning on having a child together.” He points out, with a soft smile on his face. “Do you want people to know about us?”

She sighs, looking up at him. “I want to enjoy this for a while, until we’re certain that...I don’t know...”

“It won’t blow us to bits.” He finishes for her. Moving so she lying on the bed and he can look at her, propping himself on his elbow. “I’m sure of us. I want you to know that. We’ve been doing us for longer than we’ve realised.” He points out. “Maybe our friends were right about that. The point is, I know you, so I know that when things change, you short circuit. So, nothing has to change. You don’t have to call me anything other than your best friend. But if I kiss you in the middle of New York City, let’s just establish that I can.” She smiles, caressing his cheek. “We’ve always loved each other, we’ve just realised that there’s a layer to that love we weren’t aware of before. Maybe it was always there but what matters is that it’s bigger than just us now. We can wait to figure us out. And we don’t have to figure us out if you just want to be what we’ve always been. Though we’ve denied it, not many best friends have baths with wine and dinner dates and-“

“And sex. Not many best friends have sex.” She adds with a grin.

“That too. They also don’t have kids together.” Jughead smirks. “Wait...was it here?”

She furrows her brows. “Was what here?”

“The baby? Did we conceive our baby here?” He questions. She tries to ignore the way his words pull at her heartstrings, focusing instead at how he’s smiling and it’s the most beautiful smile she knows.

“Yeah, I told you it was during Christmas so either here or the bathroom, I guess.” She grins.

“That’s some full circle shit, Betts.” He notes, laughing. “So, how far along are you?”

“A couple months, give or take. I have an appointment next week, if all goes well. I want to wait till FP wakes up.”

He nods his head. “Yeah, I can come right? To the appointment?”

She smiles. “I want you there for everything, Jug.”

“You two seem to be alright.” Alive notes, as Betty heads upstairs to have a shower. “Safe to assume that ‘talk’ took place?”

Jughead chuckles, taking a sip of his coffee. It had been a day since they had established their relationship, their decision for the future and things were going smoothly. The idea alone that he didn’t have to control himself, didn’t have to keep himself from touching her was enough to keep him going with a spring in his step.

“I’d say so, yes.”

“You look awfully happy.” Alice grins. “Have you thought about my mother’s ring at all?”

Alice always managed to say something that would make him spit his drink. At least, one item on her list of ‘things Jughead needs to do’ is done: impregnate Betty...check. He can already imagine the look on her face when they tell her. Alice will probably burst his ear drum with how much she’ll shriek.

“Not yet.” He manages to speak up, before stuffing his mouth with toast.

“Well, get to it, Forsythe.” Alice smirks. It was one thing to have this conversation while him and Betty were “pretending” or before they realized what they really meant to each other, but it was entirely different deal today. Now it’s different, because now it’s a real possibility. He hopes it is.

“All in its due time.” He smiles softly.

Alice’s phone rings, its sound bouncing off the walls. He knows his father is awake the minute Alice’s face morphs into a smile, relief overcoming her as she speaks into the phone. “He’s awake?” He questions. “My dad’s awake?”

“Yes, darling. He’s awake.” Alice smiles through the tears, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Oh my god.” He breathes out.

“He’s gonna be fine.” She caresses his cheek. “Go tell Betty to hurry. I’ll meet you at the hospital?”

“Yeah, yeah, go.” He smiles before running up the stairs. “Betty!” He bursts into the bathroom.

She jumps startled. “Jesus, Jug! You scared the shit out of me!”

“Dad’s awake! He’s fine, Betts.” Her face lights up as she takes in the news.

“Shit, five minutes and I’ll be downstairs!” She says. “Hey! Kiss me!” She grins as he jumps to her, pressing his lips against hers. “I love you.”

“I love you, Betts.” He responds, pecking her lips before walking away. “Hurry!”

Twenty minutes later they’re sitting in the waiting room. Jellybean and Alice were inside with Gladys and for now, they had to wait to see FP. But it was different than their previous waiting game. Now there’s just happiness that he’s awake and that he’ll make a swift recovery.

“I hope we don’t have to go back to any hospitals any time soon.” He sighs, leaning back against the plastic chair.

She smirks softly. “Well, sorry to inform that our strawberry will definitely ruin your hope.” With a nudge to his side, Jughead softens.

“That’s a good reason to go to a hospital.” He asserts, taking her hand in his.

“It is?” She asks. Of course their conversation brought her a reassurance that they would make it through. But Jughead’s feelings about having kids, she supposes, still stand. He’d be a good father, she’s sure of it. But still, they’re is the early stages of this. She’s in disbelief, even thought she’d taken five tests and felt all the symptoms. Jughead, at the very least, must be incredibly out of comfortable waters.

His face changes at her questions and he gulps, grabbing her chin and making her look at him. “I’ll love our baby.” He promises. “Because it’s ours. I may not have wanted kids, I can’t lie about that. You’ve known that about me for the longest time, Betts. But I’ll love ours. And right now, it’s happening, it’s real. I’m sure it’ll continue to get realer every week. And I’m scared out of my mind, but I can’t not love something born out of our love for each other. The concept of our baby is still very much blurry, but it’s getting clearer every day. I promise.” He places a soft kiss to her lips but she pulls him to her, deepening the kiss, as if she could hold all her relief in the lack of space between their lips. He didn’t need to say anything else, it was enough to calm her heart and make her love him even more.

_Yeah, they’d be fine. Come what may. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, new update! Hope you guys like it, I figured Riverdale is being angsty enough só a little fluff was needed! Tell me what you think xx 
> 
> PS: Fuck the Riverdale writers ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	9. Blessed Be The Mystery of Love

Betty Cooper had thousands of plans made by the time she was twelve. At first, rather cliched views of love and life. She’d be married by 25, one child by thirty and she’d be a successful writer. When she turned eighteen and re read the scrapbooks of her future life she had laughed. When she turned 24 and she had helped her mother clean out the attic and the diaries made its appearance again, she couldn’t fathom possibly getting married in a year. She texted Jughead with a photo of the page. And he’d replied with ‘Look at you dashing little Betty’s dreams’. And then she’d turned the page and it was there: ‘Juggie will always be my best friend’ attached with a sweet picture of them on his birthday. 

In the grand scheme of things, she had fulfilled her twelve year old self’s plan. Her second book was highly anticipated, the first granting her the title of a well renowned writer. And although, she could never really picture herself married just yet, or anytime soon, she was having a child before thirty. 

And Juggie was still very much her best friend. 

The only future little Betty hadn’t considered was Juggie as the father of her child, as well as the love of her life (it still terrified her) and as the person she was most scared to lose. Little Betty hadn’t realized that sitting in a hospital waiting room for the second time in two weeks with him might just be her favorite thing. 

He’s enthralled by the information on the flyers laid out on the coffee table. She’d caught two parenting books in the bookshelf, occupying a place that previously held Hemingway, in their living room. She knew enough about him not to mention anything, instead smiling, running her fingers across it and getting on with her day. He’d ask her a million questions about she was feeling and she’d love him more every time. The newfound freedom of never holding back on affection made her realise just how much she craves him, his touch and he would never not deny her his touch, always seeking her out, even if it’s to hold her hand. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

She smiles, shrugging. “Nothing, I just...I love you.” And as terrified as she was of what that meant, saying it made her feel free. 

He places a kiss to her cheek. “I love you too.” He says it as if it’s the easiest thing he’s ever done in his life and she can’t help but feel the sentiment, eyes still on him as he reads the brochures. “Babies need a lot of shit I never knew existed.” He concludes, shoving the piece of paper in his jacket as she laughs. 

“Elizabeth Cooper?” 

Jughead seems to be fascinated and nervous and she can feel how sweaty his hands are when she takes it in his after a whole of ten minutes of questions from the doctor, she’s asked to lie on the examination table. There’s no bump yet, but the doctor tells her she’ll notice a difference in the next week or so. Her first thought is that it’ll be real then, once she notices her body changing, once there’s a physical reminder that in a few months, they’ll have a baby. 

But then there’s an image on the screen. Almost imperceptible. But Jughead’s lips part as he stares at it. Blurry, but alive and she tries to focus on what the doctor’s saying but all that’s going through her mind is that there’s a baby, strawberry sized, inside her. And that it’ll have eyes, her eyes or Jug’s eyes and a smile and all ten fingers and ten toes and a voice. They’ll have a little voice that will someday call her mom and she doesn’t quite know what to do with jolt of electricity that runs through, but Jughead’s keeping her steady, tight grip on her hand, as if he knows what she’s thinking and feels the cosmic, colossal weight of what they’re about to experience, of the sole existence of another life. 

Then there’s the sound. The thump of a beating heart. Fast. And it’s the song of angels. A song they had written it together. They had created a breathing being, with a heart. 

Her eyes stray from the screen and wander into his. She can’t mistake the tears in his eyes as he kisses her hand. The doctor is smiling warmly as she tells them they have a healthy baby, how everything seems to be going on the right track and there’s relief to a worry she didn’t even know plagued her. 

“Would you like a picture of the sonogram? Two?” 

“Can you make that three?” Jughead chokes out as Betty cleans up the gel off her stomach.“Just to be safe.” He murmurs to himself, as the doctor leaves the room. “Betts...” The look on his face is one of wonder. “I don’t-“ 

“I know.” She caresses his cheek, now sitting on the edge of the table. 

“That got so real.” He lets out a short laugh. “We made that. That beating heart, I just...it’s pretty fucking crazy.” 

“It is.” She nods, smiling softly. “You okay? This can be overwhelming.” 

“It is overwhelming but I just...I hadn’t thought of our baby as a...fully grown human, you know? And it hit me that...it’s a whole life. Like birthdays and school and homework and crocodile tears and temper tantrums.” He pauses, fingers intertwined with hers. “Oh god, Betts, I’m gonna step on so many legos.” His eyes widen dramatically and she laughs. “Our baby’s gonna talk. And think things. And love things. And hate them too. I hadn’t thought of that until I heard the heartbeat.” He breathes out. “We made a person. I mean, not exactly a person just yet but it will be.” 

She places her hand on his cheek, smiling. “You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would.” 

He lets out a soft laugh. “I’m scared shitless. But I think...I can see the silver lining. And I can imagine a pretty awesome kid.” 

“They’re gonna drive us crazy.” 

“Oh yeah.” He grins. “They’re gonna drive us up the wall, Betts.” 

With a shy smile, she murmurs quietly, mostly to herself. “Can’t wait.” 

•

She knows he keeps one of the pictures in his wallet, because she’d seen him put it there the minute they were handed to them. The other’s on their fridge, held by a cheesy London bus magnet from their trip a few years back. Hers is sat on her bedside table, she’d glance at it every night before shutting the lamp. 

Ever since their return to New York, they hadn’t slept apart a single night and it seemed that, in the middle of it all, he was permanentlymoved into her room, while his bed remained untouched. And while she thought of all that, the thought occurred of where they would put the baby’s room. Jughead’s current room could work, it was right across from their, well her, room. She’d always thought the light was beautiful in his room. As of right now, she couldn’t imagine them not having an office so they’d have to have a conversation about what they’d do once he came back from work. 

Her creative flow over the previous weeks had proved to be fruitful. Her editor apparently loves where the book is going and for the first time in a while, Betty feels good about her writing. She was deadly afraid that the first book had been a one hit wonder but now it’s beginning to look like that isn’t the case at all. Everything feels right with where she’s taking the story and she couldn’t feel more relieved. 

So, mainly, apart from a few meetings and a few walks, she’d been staying home writing. Their friends had all been busy for the past two weeks so no chance for hangouts and she was secretly enjoying having Jughead all to herself since he hadn’t had any assignments in a while. She felt happy. Him coming home, kissing her lips, holding her to sleep. It’s not as though there was much difference to what they usually did but now there was the knowledge that their love ran deeper. And that made every moment sweeter. 

“Betty?” His voice startles her out of her reverie. His head pops into the doorway of the office and he grins. “Hey, you! I brought pizza!” 

“You’re my savior!” She stands up, skipping over to him with a wide smile gracing her lips. Pulling him to her, he laughs as she kisses his lips. “Missed you.” 

“Did you now?” He smirks, arms wrapped around her. 

“Mmmmh, always.” She pecks his lips. “Good day?” 

He shrugs. “Boring editing, but I have that Temples interview next week though! I got us VIP tickets for the show next month, if you’re feeling up to it.” He tells her, an excited look on his face. 

“God, I thank the stars everyday that you get to interview all those people!” 

“Is that all you want me for?” He pouts and she kisses it away. “You okay? You didn’t get sick today?” 

“Nope. I’m feeling ok.” She caresses his cheek, heart melting at his worry as it usually does. He watches her face for a second, unsure if she really was feeling ok, since the last few weeks she’d been nauseous basically everyday for the past two weeks. “I mean it. I’m fine.” She insists. “Come on, let’s eat, I wanna talk to you about something.” 

As she drags him to the living room, she can tell he tenses up immediately. “Are you about to tell me we’re having twins? If so, I should tell you I won’t leave but I might just have a heart attack and die.” 

She laughs loudly. “We are not having twins, promise.” She plops down on the couch and he does the same, placing the pizza on the coffee table. He opens the box and she digs in, grabbing a slice of pizza as he stares at her. “My god, will you relax, it’s nothing bad, Jug.” She reassured him, munching away on her her pizza as he finally relaxes back into the couch, beside her. “I already miss wine.” Betty whines. 

“I’ll drink for you, Betts.” He sends her a smirk and she slaps his chest, glaring. “Alright, do tell, baby mama, what’s this thing you want to talk about?” 

“Our living arrangements.” She grins. “It has occurred that at some point, we’re going to have to decide where to put the baby’s room. And I don’t think we can actually live without the office, so let’s consider that our baby-free room.” She explains, a jolt of nervousness passing through her. “I was thinking that maybe we could- well, we’ve been sleeping in the same bed every night and, either way we spent a lot of nights together before, most of them anyway. Really, what’s I’m trying to say is- I don’t know why my heart is beating so fast-“ 

“Are you asking me to move into your room permanently?” He questions, quietly, grabbing her hand to stop her from rambling on any longer. 

She looks up at him, at his eyes. “I guess I am, yeah.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “I’ve always liked the light in your room and I think it’d be nice for the baby.” She confesses. 

He’s quiet for a few seconds, just looking at her. And then he takes her in his arms, pulling her to his lap. “I don’t want you to think you have to do this. We can give up the office, sure, we’d have to stash every book somewhere but we don’t have to take to any steps you don’t want to take.” 

“Jug...” She murmurs. 

He places a kiss to her cheek. “Things are changing. Everything about our life is changing. If you don’t want to change these small things like where we sleep, we don’t have to.” 

She smiles softly, his caring nature bringing her a warm feeling in her chest. “Juggie, where have we been sleeping?” 

He sighs. “Your room, I know. I’m just saying that if things are moving too fast, we don’t have to move with them.” 

Placing her hands on both his cheeks, she looks him in the eye. “I want to sleep next to you every night, I sleep better when you’re there. I want this.” 

“You do?” 

She nods. “I do.” 

“Okay.” He whispers. “Okay.” 

•

They’re awoken by the doorbell ringing, disrupting their quiet Saturday morning. Betty groans, snuggling closer to Jughead, refusing to actually get up to see whoever it is out there. If they really need something, they’ll call. It rings again. “Betts.” 

“No.” 

He laughs softly. “What if it’s important?” It only takes another minute before Betty’s phone rings. 

Betty sighs, before unwrapping herself from him and reaching for her phone on the bedside table. “Hello?” 

“I am outside your door. Did you forget our brunch date?” Veronica’s voice energetic, usually loud voice wakes her up in a second. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, V. Give me five minutes.” She curses. “Jug, get the door.”” He places a kiss to her head before standing up and walking out of the bedroom, as she jumps out bed. 

“I’m sorry, are you two in bed together?” Veronica gasps. “What the fuck?” 

“Shit.” Betty mutters. She hangs up and throws the phone on the bed, sprinting to the bathroom. 

Jughead is the one sent to the lion’s den, already dreading what would soon be a full on interrogation. Neither of them had given any information about what was happening between them so it was clear that this would be them breaking the news. Not about the baby, they weren’t at all ready for the onslaught of emotional future aunts and uncles that was sure would fall upon them, they had their own emotions to deal with, still coming to terms with everything on their own. 

“Do explain, Forsythe.” Veronica attacks as soon as the door is open and they’re face to face. 

He winces, opening the door wide so she can step inside. “G’morning, Ronnie.” 

“So?” She raises an eyebrow, dropping her bag on the armchair. 

“I need coffee for this.” He groans, making his way to the kitchen as he hears Veronica’s heals hammering behind him. “Veronica Lodge, would you like a cup of coffee while we delve into this issue?” 

“Whose baby is that?” 

He nearly drops the mug he’d picked out of the cupboard, twisting to look at her as she stares at the fridge. The ultrasound picture on it exactly as he had left it. He really hadn’t thought this whole thing through. 

“Polly’s.” He blurts out, in a panicked state. 

“Aw, sweet, I bet the twins are excited.” 

“Yup, they’re thrilled.” 

“Jughead.” Veronica smiles after a second of her looking at the picture on the fridge, sitting on the stool by the island. 

He gulps. “Yes?” 

“That coffee would be nice.” She tells him. He can feel the energy radiating off of her. She knows he’s lying, he can tell by the way she’s looking at him. It had always been unnerving how easily Veronica could detect bullshit, it was truly fascinating, he had always thought so but definitely not at this very moment in time. “So, is it just sex again?” 

Jughead rolls his eyes. “I don’t think so, no.”

“Meaning you’ve confessed your undying love for her?” She questions with a grin. “And assuming she confessed her feelings as well, you’ve decided to go back to being the adorable couple you’ve always been?” 

“I’d say it’s something like that, yes.” 

She squeals, clapping her hands. “Yes! Thank god you got your head out of your asses!” 

“What is happening?” Betty questions, as she comes into the kitchen. “Why are you yelling?” 

“Because, Betty!” Veronica grins. “You love each other and I love watching you two love each other. Plus, no more headaches for me over your idiocy!” Betty shakes her head, looking at Jughead with a soft grin on her face. He smiles back, eyes still droopy with sleep. “You’re disgusting. Anyway, you didn’t tell me Polly was pregnant.” 

Confusion etched across her face, she looks at her friend. “Polly’s not pregnant.” She lets out a chuckle. 

“I fucking knew it!” Betty’s eyes widen at an almost comical speed as she snaps her head towards Jughead who is standing there with a panicked look on his face, unsure of what the next move would be. They hadn’t discussed exactly when to tell people and how to tell them, it certainly wasn’t like this. “Whose baby is that? Betty? Jug?” 

Betty looks at Jughead who offers her a small reassuring smile, nodding his head and then looks back at her friend. “It’s ours. It’s our baby.” She tells her softly. 

Jughead is leaning against the counter, gauging Veronica’s reaction. He’s expecting screaming, maybe even hitting him. Instead they get Veronica being silent. Completely silent, staring at Betty with tears in her eyes, eyes flickering from her stomach to her eyes. 

“I’m gonna be an aunt?” Her question is soft, as she tears her eyes from Betty to look back at Jughead. And he nods his head, unable to speak as if by doing so, he’d destroy this small precious moment of Veronica Lodge rendered speechless. “You’re pregnant?” 

Betty lets out a hushed laugh, feeling herself get choked up. They really weren’t kidding about hormones. “Yeah, V.” She breathes out. “I’m pregnant.” 

“Oh, B!” Veronica throws her arms around her friend, pulling her into a tight hug. “Would you get in on this hug, Forsythe?” He laughs loudly, walking over to wrap his arms around both of them, kissing the top of Betty’s head. “Wait, is this happy? It is, right?” Veronica pulls back to look between them. 

“It’s happy, Ronnie.” Jughead answers. And Betty’s heart swells at the look on his face, as Veronica goes back to her usual self, chatting a million miles an hour about all the things she’d do to spoil the kid. Betty didn’t doubt her for a single second. 

•

Weekends lazing around with her might be his favorite thing in the whole world. It had been a wonderful morning with absolutely no morning sickness. They’d spent the whole morning in bed, enjoying each other’s warmth. And though, he wished it would never end, Betty had insisted that they go out for lunch and then for a walk. It was a beautiful day out and they needed fresh air, she said. 

His heart leaps out of his chest when she hears her call out his name from the bathroomin what he thinks might be distress. Running to the bedroom, heart beating way to fast. The pst few weeks had been enough to get him go full on panic mode when there was even the slightest indication that something was wrong. 

Bursting into the bedroom, he sees her in front of the mirror. “What? What happened? You okay?” 

She looks at him with a wide a grin on her face. “Look.” She whispers, eyes cast down. And he looks down at her body, watches her hand places on her stomach. “I have a bump.” 

He stares at her stomach, the small swell. The tiny difference that made all the difference. The last proof that she was growing their child inside of her. Not that he had needed any more proof, but seeing it now, the existence of someone else. It was no longer a bunch of cells as he’d once thought. It was real, impossibly real. And certain. There, in that little bump was their future. What their world would become in a matter of months, what it was already becoming. 

Taking a tentative step forward, he swallows the lump that seems to have formed in his throat, watching her as she stares at her own figure in the mirror. He comes up behind her, hands crossing her bare skin to rest on her stomach. She shivers, goosebumps rising on every inch of her, her own hands moving to rest on top of his. Turning her around to face him, he presses a kiss to her lips, then lets his lips follow a trail of its own. From her neck to the valley of her breasts. He drops to his knees as his lips find the skin atop of the bump, where they baby is growing inside. His lips linger, eyes shut closed, as her hands tangle into his hair.

“I never thought it could be like this.” He confesses in a whisper. 

“Jug.” His name escapes her, her voice wavering. “Juggie.” 

He opens his eyes to look at her. “God, Betts.” He breathes out. “This is...this is everything. I know I said I never wanted kids but I want yours.” He lets out a soft laugh. “I want ours. I want everything that’s ours.” 

A choked up laugh escapes her lip and she goes down to her knees so she can kiss his lips and thank his heart for locking her in, without her even realizing. A lifetime of falling for him without knowing, only to have him catch her, as always. 

“I’ll love you both with everything I’ve got, Betts.” He promises, against her lips. 

She nods. “I know. I know you will.” 

That night when Betty’s fast asleep beside him, he slips out of bed and checks the time, knowing that on Saturdays his dad is usually awake at one in the morning, some strange ritual he holds with himself and he calls. He needs him, desperately because after the emotional rollercoaster this past month had been, his feelings are a bit all over the place and his dad, other than Betty, is one of the few people that can get him to see things clearer. 

“Jughead?” 

“Hey, dad.” He murmurs. 

“Everything okay?” FP questions. 

Jughead takes a deep breath. “Yeah, I just i... I need to tell you something and you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone. And I mean anyone, even mom, especially mom and Alice.” 

“You’re scaring me, kid.” FP says. “But I promise, I swear, ok? Tell me.” 

“You won’t have to keep it a secret for long, we’ll tell everyone soon but um...Betty’s pregnant.” He tells him and there’s a soft gasp on the other side of the line. 

“Oh, Jug. A little baby. You’re gonna be a father.” FP laughs softly and Jughead can tell he’s crying by the unsteadiness in his voice. He feels himself lose control of his own tears as FP whispers. “Congratulations, son.” 

“Thanks, grandpa.” Jughead sniffles. 

“Boy. A baby. My god.” His father murmurs in wonder. “But I’m guessing that’s not all this call’s about.” 

“I’m just...I don’t know if I’m gonna be a good dad.” Jughead confesses, sighing as he leans back against the couch. There’s silence on the other line, before FP speaks up in response. 

“You will be. I’m sure. You are one of the most caring people in the world, you both are and you’ll be wonderful parents, I’m certain of it.

Jughead breathes out, running a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t planned, you know?” 

“You weren’t trying?” 

He shakes his head, frowning. “Betty’s always wanted kids. I’ve been hesitant, some times just straight up against the idea.” 

“You told her that?” 

“Yeah.” He nods. “And now that it’s happening, I’m scared. Shitless.” 

“Every new parent is, Jughead.” FP smiles softly. “It’s part of it. Having kids is not for everybody, sure and I don’t think that you’re complete because you have kids but they do bring a lot of love and something pure that is beautiful and worth every dirty diaper and sleepless night.” His father’s certainty makes him feel a little more certain himself but the doubts are harder to overcome. “You’ll make an amazing father. You and Betty raising a little one is bound to make them twice as good as you, twice as kind and twice as stubborn.” He chuckles. And Jughead takes it in, smiling back a little. He knows, rationally, that he could never screw up too bad because Betty would be there with him and she will be an amazing mother. “Are you happy? Beneath all the fear?” 

“Yeah. I never knew a little blurry stain on a screen could make me cry but that happened.” He laughs. “And it’s...I didn’t think I could love Betty more but it’s overwhelming now. In every sense.” He smiles to himself, remembering the feeling that seeing her bump awoke inside of him. “I never wanted kids but it’s...something else, dad. It’s like every nerve in my brain knows that’s my kid in there. And I just...I love them. And I’m pretty certain I could kill a man just at the thought of anyone hurting that little thing Betty’s cooking.” 

And in the corner of the all, Betty’s listening to every word, having woken up without him, her heart full at the love she feels for her best friend. She smiles and then tiptoes back to bed, with a joyous feeling in her chest that keeps her from falling asleep because the smile on her face is too big. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo! New chapter is here, a fluffy one because I’m these awfully shitty times, it makes me feel a whole lot better! Hope you like it! 
> 
> Tell me what you think!


	10. Old Love, New Love, Ours

Jughead doesn’t understand why he’s feeling so nervous. It’s not as though tonight will be any different than a normal dinner with their best friends, whom they hadn’t seen in forever. Naturally, feelings nervous about the fact that they’re about to tell some of the closest people in their lives that they’re having a baby is normal, perfectly fine. But he was what he considered to be too nervous, like heart pumping, palms sweaty kind of nervous. There’s a part of him that relieved that people will know but then there is another part of him that wants to keep their secret, that was for sure a lemon now, within the walls of their home. 

Betty was definitely not helping, since she was unnervingly calm. Puttering around the house, baking delicious cookies, hauling him off to the grocery store with that beautiful smile of hers. And the bump...Jesus, the goddamned bump that he saw every morning as she got dressed, when they’re showering together, when they have sex. He can’t even begin to describe what it feels like to see it, to touch her skin. A primal need to protect this tiny little thing they had created. He’d never been more sure of the fact that he’d do anything for Betty and for the family they were building. 

Everything about it feels too much. Watching movies, watching TV shows. He and Betty had been binging Ozark and suddenly when Marty Byrde said the first thought he’d had when his first kid was born was that he couldn’t die, Jughead was pretty sure someone had punched his stomach. He had gotten choked up, Betty had held him, laughing softly at his emotional state claiming the hormone overload was supposed to be her thing. He’d whispered what he was thinking about and she’d cried with him. 

He couldn’t die. That little baby, they need him. And when he’s gone, he won’t be able to keep them safe. And for some reason, he’s aware of how dumb that thought is. He’ll die and by then, their kid will be a grown up and it’s a complicated feeling to have. The sort of powerlessness of bringing a life into the unknown, the uncertainty of life. It’s probably the single scariest thing he’d ever done in his life. 

“Jug, come here.” He stops abruptly in his spiral of thoughts to at her. She’s standing by him with a soft smile on her lips, arms extended as he stares into the open fridge. He falls into them, head burying in her shoulder. “It’s okay to feel nervous.” She murmurs rubbing his back, because of course she noticed and he’s putty in her hands. “Do you want to wait a little longer?” 

“I don’t think we can keep it a secret for long, Betts.” He tells her, pulling back to place a hand on her bump. “I don’t even know why I’m so nervous, honestly.” 

“Well, we are about to drop a bomb on our friends so it’s okay, I think.” She smiles softly. 

“You aren’t nervous.” He notes and she shrugs. 

“I’m just glad to not be walking on eggshells around them. I kind of want to talk to people about it now and not avoid it every time.” She explains and he nods. “I’m more nervous about next weekend than our friends. I figure it’ll be...overwhelming.” 

He laughs softly. “To say the least.” 

“Yep.” She smiles. “So, it will be overwhelming, but I...I want to tell people.” 

Nodding, he places a kiss to her forehead. “It’s getting pretty real, huh?” 

“Doesn’t get any more real than something moving inside of you.” She tells him, a hand caressing her bump. He places his hand on top of hers. “It’s gonna be fine, you know that, right?” He’s sure she means more than just tonight but he nods, smiling softly, choosing to believe her. “Set the table, will you? It’s almost showtime.” She pecks his lips and moves to check on the food. 

Half an hour later, the doorbell echoes off the walls and soon the house is filled with voices eagerly catching up. Veronica keeps being very obvious about her excitement and they’re really hoping she doesn’t accidentally spill the beans. Betty’s wearing a baggy sweater and she’s getting hot, by what Jughead can guess. But they agreed to wait till dessert, so every time he sends her a look or whispers in her ear, asking if she wants to just go for it, she shakes her head. 

“Are you guys together?” Kevin asks, seemingly asking for everybody else. Jughead is rubbing Betty’s back and it’s impossible to not notice the difference between them now and their last dinner together. 

Veronica is grinning widely. “They are!” 

“You knew?!” Cheryl screeches. Jughead’s sure his ear drum bursts at that moment, as everyone starts talking at the same time. He can only laugh as he looks at Betty. If this is the reaction at the news of them being together, then Jughead is scared for what’s coming next. 

Veronica is looking at them, beaming as they’re bombarded with questions. “Guys! I think we should let them breathe a little!” 

Everyone is staring at them, waiting for them to explain. They smile, holding onto each other’s hands. “We are together.” Jughead confirms.

“For real, this time.” Betty adds, squeezing his hand. “And we have...something else to tell you guys.” She lets out a shaky breath and he tries to ground her, his thumb caressing the back of hand. He nods reassuringly when she looks at him, smiling softly. He wonders what it’ll feel like to have the news out there. “We’re having a baby.” 

You could hear a pin drop as the room plunged into complete silent, everyone in shock. Much like Veronica, all of them growing a bit emotional as it became clear that it wasn’t a joke, that it was all so very real. Their friends are pretty sincere and genuine people but he thinks this might be the most sincere expression of happiness and love he’s ever seen or felt. Betty is laughing at their reaction, because them being so quiet is rare and because the happiness she feels blooming in her heart is overflowing. 

“Are you serious?” The first one to question them with anything is Archie who looks absolutely shocked. “For real?” 

Jughead chuckles, glancing at Betty. “Want to do the honours, Betts?” 

She grins standing up. Lifting the shirt over herhead, there’s a collective gasp from the group at the sight of her bump. And no matter how many times he’s seen it over the past few weeks, Jughead’s heart still skips a beat in his chest, his nervousness dissipating as he takes in the room’s excitement. 

“Oh my god, you have a bump!” Cheryl screeches, finally back to her usual loud self and apparently. “Shit, we have to alter your bridesmaid dress!” 

“Cheryl!” Toni scolds as Cheryl. “We’re really happy for you guys.” 

“And might I add, that was fast getting to be business there.” Kevin winks. 

Jughead laughs softly. “Well, wasn’t exactly the plan.” 

“Yeah, it was a surprise. A great one.” Betty joins in, sitting back down, a hand on her stomach, as Jughead places his arm around her waist. 

“Well, we love surprises!” Veronica grins at them. “And I brought you guys a present since I was the first to know and had a little time!” Veronica stands so she get to her purse, pulling out the present. “Here!”

“V, you shouldn’t have!” 

“Of course, I did! We’re welcoming the first baby into this family!” They tear the wrapping paper and inside is a book of baby names. “Obviously, if it’s a girl, Veronica is a great name.” 

“Yeah, we are not naming our daughter Veronica.” Jughead shakes his head, reaching for his glass of wine to take a sip. 

“Your daughter, you guys!” Toni has a clear loving look on her face. “That’s so weird to hear you say it!” 

“Should we make the bets now?” Archie grins. 

At the end of the night, the bets stand: 

Boy - Archie, Cheryl, Toni

Girl - Kevin, Veronica 

Betty and Jughead don’t make any bets because they don’t really care as long as the baby is healthy. Jughead secretly hopes it’s a girl, only because he wants a mini Betty running around. He thinks the world needs more of her. All he knows is that, at the end of the night, him and Betty are sober and their friends have just made bets that involve a lot of money. 

“How the fuck are we choosing godparents?” Jughead murmurs in her ear, as they watch their friends bicker, making plans for their child . From who would help the kid with boys or/and girls to who would buy them their first drink. 

Betty groans, leaning back against him. “Let’s worry about that some other time.” 

“Hey, quick question, you guys letting your kid smoke weed when the time comes?” Archie questions, from his stop on the floor by the coffee table, leaning against the couch. 

Jughead stills. “I hadn’t thought of that.” 

“Yes.” Betty says. “I mean why wouldn’t we? We smoke weed.” She shrugs. “There’s nothing wrong with weed. I’d rather my kid do everything with my permission than behind my back like I did.” 

“God, you guys will be such good parents. I wish you were my parents.” Kevin sighs dreamily. 

They both laugh. “Too weird, Kev.” Betty says. 

“You will be though.” Veronica tells them, getting a bit emotional, the wine not helping. “You will be amazing parents and your baby is lucky. And beautiful. Shit, your baby will be so fucking beautiful.” 

“Those genes!” Toni nods her head, eyes wide. “A drop dead gorgeous child.” 

“I’m going to buy them so much stuff!” Cheryl says. “Clothes! Toys! Christmas is going to be the best next year!” 

“Oh god!” Jughead mutters, burying his face in Betty’s shoulder. She feels his smile against her, mirroring her own.

•

He’s always loved the intimacy of her body against his. The simple contact of her skin. He’s always loved it but it feels even greater, even more delicate now. Now when he holds her, there’s a life between them. And there’s something primal like that calms his mind, knowing they are both there, with him, safe and warm. He never imagined it’d feel this way, this love, instinctive and effortless. He loved something that was growing, that would continue to grow before his eyes. And though, it had never been a thought before, now it was the one constant thing in his mind. 

“Can you feel it move?” Betty murmurs. 

With a hand placed on her stomach, he tries to feel any flutter but he doesn’t, not yet. It’s too soon for him to feel, only she does. But desperately wishes he could. So, he shakes his head. 

“What does it feel like?” He murmurs. 

She hums. “Like little flutters.”

“Like gas?” She laughs loudly and he laughs with her, kissing her forehead. “Does it happen a lot?” 

“It’s starting to. They’re getting stronger.” 

“I can’t wait to feel it.” He whispers and she smiling, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Do you think the baby can hear us?” 

She shrugs. “Maybe. I think we’re probably around the time they start hearing things.” She smiles. “Why?” 

“Come here.” He moves them so she’s lying on her back and he’s hovering above her. With a quick peck on her lips, he moves lower, lying between her legs. She watches him curiously as he places himself face facing her stomach.

“Jug,” She huffs out a small laugh. 

“Shhh, let me talk to our baby.” He grins up at her before focusing his attention on her bump. “Greetings from dad, kid.” He jokes, glancing at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Your mom is rolling her eyes at me right now, you can probably feel it all the way in there. Don’t tell her but annoying her is my favorite thing in the world. It’s actually really hot when she glares.” 

“Do not corrupt our child while it’s still in the womb.” Betty snorts, shaking her head. 

“And you know what?,” he pauses, smiling. “I’m still completely in love with her even when she bosses me around like that.” Betty’s expression changes, a softer gaze falling upon him. “And I love you. I can’t wait to meet you.” He breathes out. “I hope you have your mom’s eyes. And her kindness. And her smile.” He can see the tears glistening in her eyes even in the pale streetlights outside. “I hope we make you happy. I hope I can make you and your mom happy.” 

“You already do.” Betty murmurs, running a hand through his hair. “You make us so happy. You’ll be a great dad, Jug. I know you will.”

He pulls himself up, so he can hold her in his arms again. He doesn’t quite believe the statement yet. He doesn’t know how great of adad he’ll be. He knows he’ll try to be the best he can be, but he’s always struggled to believe in himself, even when Betty believed in him with every bone in her body. “I love you.” He says because he doesn’t quite know what else to say. There’s not a simple way to say what she means to him but he loves her and maybe that can be enough for now. 

•

Betty had been the one to suggest telling their family in a more creative way. Truthfully, Jughead just wanted to pop up and say it, given the fact that Betty’s bump was becoming a lot harder to conceal and the fact that he could tell his father just wanted to talk about it at all times and tell everyone. But Betty had rolled her eyes, saying it’d be fun. 

Their plan however got ruined the moment they arrived and Betty’s sweater had accidentally ridden up as she took her jacket off. Alice’s laser eyes locked in and Betty’s bump wasn’t in any way, shape or form a food baby. The bump stuck out in a way that Betty’s slender figure couldn’t hide as weight gain. 

The metaphorical dam broke, Alice screamed, Jughead dropped their bags from the scare and their secret was out in the open. 

It’s, as they predicted, overwhelming. Alice bombards them with a million questions, with quick pauses just for her to launch into a speech over how happy she is. They hand her the ultrasound picture they had printed for everyone, she cries again. 

“Did you know when you were here last?” Alice questions him, pulling him aside as he helps her in the kitchen, Betty being the most immediate target from the entirety of their family. Alice hadn’t even let them take their jackets off before yelling out the news at them. Jellybean had pretty much launched herself at Betty, hugging her, bragging about how she’d be the best aunt ever. And Gladys, ever the opposite of Alice, cried silently, looking at both of them and then in FP’s arms, who stood beaming. 

“Yes.” He answers quietly. “We just wanted to make sure everything fine. It was actually real.” 

“And how does that ring sound now?” Alice raises an eyebrows. “I’m kidding.” She bumps her hip with his when his face definitely tells her otherwise. “All in its due time.” 

“That’s...surprising?” He huffs out a laugh. 

“Well, you are giving me a grandchild so...” She shrugs with a grin. “I’m really happy for you, sweetie. But I must warn you, Betty was a crier when she was a baby.” 

“Let’s hope the kid takes after me.” He winks. 

Polly’s already on some wicked plan to take revenge on them. Noisy toys were first on the list. Payback for every toy they’d ever plotted against her. It had been ongoing ever since Polly had the twins. Now he was seriously regretting it, imagining their apartment filled with noisy electronic toys and their child pressing every button all at once. But that’s the exact same thought that gets him imagining their child, laughing, so he supposed he can take it. 

“It’s pretty cool.” Dagwood says, sitting beside Betty. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” 

Betty lets out a soft laugh. “We don’t know yet.” 

The boy nods. “Hope it’s a boy.” 

“I hope it’s a girl!” Juniper perks up, from where she’s sitting next to her mom. “I’ll do her hair when she’s old enough! And go shopping! And I can do her makeup!” 

“Well if it’s a girl, she might not like those things! Maybe she’ll like cars and not nail polish!” Dagwood fires back at his sister who rolls her eyes and then turns to Betty.

“I’ll love her anyway.” Juniper smiles sweetly. “Even if she likes playing those bad games Dag plays.” 

Just as Dag is about to respond, Polly steps in,stopping what would soon be a full blown out fight between the twins. “Why don’t you stop badgering your aunt and uncle and go wash your hands for lunch?” 

“I can’t believe you’re having a baby.” Jellybean sighs, looking at Jughead with a teasing smirk on her face. “I mean, it feels like yesterday you were sticking boogers on my shirt.” 

“Now he’s gonna deal with someone else’s boogers.” FP grins. 

“And a whole lot of other substances that come from babies. Oh, all those dirty diapers we changed! Now you’ll get to experience it!” Gladys jokes. 

“Getting peed in the face happens!” FP teases, laughing. And Jughead sighs pulling Betty a little closer. Everyone seems so happy, so overjoyed, he can’t find it in himself to think of all the doubts he has been pushing through every day. All he wants to do is sit quietly beside the love of his life, laughing as their parents let them in on the joys of parenthood. Betty looks up at him for a second, smiling softly and he can see the glint of happiness in her eyes, that will always be enough for him to push through.

•

Betty’s moods are definitely something he now needs to look out for. And with the seasons changing, temperatures rising, she’s a lot crankier than usual. And usually, he can take it it’s fine, he’s been dealing with it. But their first fight, post finding out about the baby, is explosive in a way he hadn’t expected. Because he’s tired from work, a singer he interviewed had been an absolute dick and all he wanted was to get home, throw himself on the couch and just not care about anything else in the world. 

But of course, in the midst of everything, he’d forgotten the goddamned chicken she asked for and since their fridge was empty because they hadn’t found the time to go grocery shopping this week, they’d have to order in and Betty was craving chicken, but not any chicken, no, specifically like she usually makes, for some fucking reason and now he’s having to deal with her yelling at his face. 

“If you’re craving chicken, we can just order in!” He argues and inside, all he’s thinking about is how ridiculous every bit of it. 

“Well, I didn’t want to fucking order in! I texted you when you left work, so you had plenty of time to get it!” 

“Fuck’s sake, I forgot! Okay? It fucking happens! I had a long day at work! And I forgot what you asked for! Am I not allowed to forget things?” 

“Maybe I’m just too fucking overheated and tired from carrying your baby and all I wanted was my boyfriend to go get some fucking chicken for me!” 

Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. “ Well, I never wanted that, did I?” The silence that follows is absolutely deafening as she stares at him, wide eyes, watering. “No, I...I didn’t...” He mumbles pathetically. 

“Very sorry we’re such a burden to you.” She laughs bitterly and he steps forward, reaching for her. “I’m going for a walk.” 

“Betty, no!” He calls out as she heads for the door. He rushes after her, gently grabbing her arm. She yanks it out of his grasp. “Please, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.” She sighs, back turned to him. He comes up behind her, snaking his arms around her, hands on her bump. “I love you. I want our baby. I want it so bad. Tell me you believe me, Betts. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He whispers over and over again. 

She sniffles in his arms and he turns her, she doesn’t fight him. Placing his hands on both of her cheeks, he gently makes her look at himself. “I’m just cranky and tired and I said something stupid and I didn’t mean it. Don’t leave me.” 

“I’m not going to leave you, you dumbass.” She huffs out soft chokes out laugh. “I’m mad at you. I’m allowed to be mad at you. But I’m never going to leave you.” 

He gulps and then breathes out, placing his forehead against hers. “I didn’t mean it.” 

“I know.” She whispers. “It still hurt to hear it.” 

“I will always want our family, tell me you believe me.” He begs and she grabs onto the fabric of his t-shirt, his body warm against hers. 

“I believe you.” 

He breathes out a sigh of relief. 

They order pizza for dinner. 

As Jughead goes onto his third slice and Betty is leaning against his chest, he smiles softly at the thought that occurs to him. “You called me your boyfriend.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know what to call you.” 

“Call me yours, baby.” He grins. 

“Cheeseball.” 

“You love me.” 

“I do. A lot. Even when you forget my chicken.” 

He places a kiss to her head. “How’s our chicken nugget doing?” 

“Did you just call our child a chicken nugget?” 

“Seems gender neutral enough.” 

She rolls eyes eyes, laughing softly. “Baby’s fine, very active.” 

“Let’s hope they’re active enough to change his position in there. I wanna know if it’s a boy or a girl.” 

“We have the appointment Friday. It’ll be the day we know who’s losing too much money, that is if baby cooperates.” She grins, snuggling closer to him. He rubs her belly, chuckling. 

“She’s already as stubborn as you are.” 

She stills, pulling back to look at him. “Did you just say she, Mr. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl?” She questions, narrowing her eyes at him. “You little shit.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m surprised myself, I know! This slow little shit updating things? A true miracle! 
> 
> Tell me what you think xx


	11. This Room

“I think I’m having a heart attack.” 

The statement is another one in the long list of statements that pertained to some sort of illness/attack and predicament that would explain her heart beating too fast. Cheryl Blossom is nothing if not a walking hyperbole. And on the day of her wedding, it would obviously be no different. 

“Cher, you’re fine.” Betty smiles softly, taking her hand in hers. “Why are you so nervous? You’ve waited for this day forever and you’ve been so excited.” 

Cheryl sighs. “I want everything to be perfection.” She confesses. “And I need my family to not ruin it all. Toni has put up with them ever since we started dating in very small doses. I hope she isn’t put off by what she’s marrying into.” 

“She’s marrying you. The rest doesn’t matter, Cher.” Veronica sits next to her friend. “There is literally nothing your family can do because we’re your team, keeping them on a leash.” 

“V’s right. This is your day, just think of how much love you put into this day. It’s gonna be the best. You’re marrying the woman you love.” 

“She’s pretty great, isn’t she?” Cheryl laughs softly. “You’re right, very much so, it’s silly to be this nervous.” 

“Speaking of your love, I need to go meet her.” 

“Oh yes, we’re sharing you guys.” Cheryl grins. Veronica kisses her cheek before making her way out. Betty stares at her friend, smiling, proud to be in this moment. “I feel like you’re about to say something heartfelt and I’m so glad my makeup isn’t done yet.” 

Betty laughs softly. “It feels like one of those moments, doesn’t it?” 

“It’s one of those days.” Her red headed friend says, nudging her. 

“I’m proud of you.” Betty murmurs. “From when you were figuring yourself out and being so scared of everything, of what your family would think and now you’re marrying the love of your life.” She pauses, wiping a tear that had escaped her. “The hormones do make me unbelievably emotional but I’m so happy and proud, Cher.”

“Betty...” Cheryl smiles, pulling her in for a hug. “We’re all grown up. I’m getting married, Archie has had a girlfriend for longer than a month,” Betty laughs. “You’re having a baby.” 

“I know. I pee a lot now.” She jokes. “And I’m having a baby with Jughead.” 

“Plot twist of the century?” 

It shouldn’t have been, she thinks. Now that they’re all in, it’s difficult to think of any other outcome, any other life they could live. It seems so obvious now, of course they’re...them. For her, there’s no other person out there. It had always been him, she had just taken a while to realize and accept it. 

“The kind you can predict, I admit that now.” 

The sound of loud voices in the hall sounds distinctly like their boys. And sure enough, in a second the door is bursting open, with three excitable men carrying champagne bottles. 

“We bring alcohol to thee, queen!” Kevin yells out. “As your bridesmen, we’re here to bring in the fun before your family arrives then we’ll all be perfectly behaved repressed humans.” 

“I said fuck that, this is your day, but Kevin insists on ya behaving.” Jughead grins before walking over to the two girls, pressing a kiss to Cheryl’s head before lighting up at the sight of Betty. “Hi, baby.” He grins, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. “How’s our nugget doing?” He questions, a look on his face that melts her heart. 

“Sitting on my bladder.” She responds, breathing out a laugh. “But we’re good.” 

“Dear god, this is still so odd. Perfectly meant to be but you two are so disgustingly adorable.” Kevin sighs dramatically, flopping on the couch in front of them. 

“Do we say thank you?” Betty questions with a grin. Jughead pecks her cheek. “How’s things on the other side?” 

“Toni is nervous but thrilled, we had a lot of cupcakes with Cheryl’s face on them.” Jughead tells them with a laugh, sitting next to Betty, wrapping an arm around. “It was apparently make up time and Archie was having too much fun with it all so we were kicked out.” 

“Cheryl, can I use your make up?” Archie grins. 

“God no! Last time you did, you were so drunk you flushed stuff down the toilet!” Archie grumbles something along the line of your never let me do anything fun’ like a little boy. 

“Alright, as your maid of honor, I am obligated to tell you we’re on a schedule so let’s move it!” Betty calls out. “We’ve got a wedding to get to!” 

•

“Have I mentioned you look beautiful?” Jughead says as Betty comes to sit beside him at the table. She looks absolutely radiant, in her baby blue dress, her bump protruding, the living visible proof of all that’s about to change in the coming months. 

The wedding itself had been a beautiful manifestation of what kind of love Cheryl and Toni have and Betty absolutely cried and Jughead didn’t even try to hide the tears and snot that inevitably came through. It was such an exhilarating feeling to watch their friends so happy and in love. They’d been there from the very beginning, when Cheryl was still rejecting who she was and then Toni had popped up and something just clicked and they were so happy. It hadn’t been an easy ride, with Cheryl’s less than accepting family, it was a miracle they even made it to the wedding but here they were. All of them, really, happy, still the best of friends. 

“You have but I don’t mind hearing it again.” Betty grins, kissing his lips. 

“You do. You look beautiful.” He tells her. “You okay? Not tired?” 

“I’m fine, Jug. Stop worrying.” She leans into him, as his arms comes around her, pulling her a little closer. He relinquishes in how it feels to hold her. He’s a little buzzed and a bit too content at this very moment to worry about anything, with her, at their friend’s wedding. “They look so happy.” Betty comments looking at Cheryl and Toni slow dancing. He smiles, placing a kiss to her head. 

“Is this something you’d want?” 

He can tell by the way she tenses up in his arms that she’s not expecting his question. And to be fair, he wasn’t expecting to put it out there so easily either but it’d been on his mind the whole day. Would this be them? Likely not as big as a wedding like Cheryl had wanted but something like them. Marriage. Vows. He knew she’d wanted to get married, when they were younger, but they’d never discussed it. And most importantly, hadn’t discussed it after things changed. 

“Sorry, did I say something wrong?” He winces. 

“No, no, no.” She places a delicate hand on his cheek so he’s looking at her. “I just...I don’t know, Jug.” 

“What does that mean?” He furrows his brows. 

“That I’m not sure wether or not I want to get married.” 

“Oh.” He nods, gulping. 

“You’re disappointed.” She frowns. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was something you wanted.” He can tell her emotions are taking over when her eyes well up with tears, it really didn’t take much to set her off these days. 

“Shit, no, Betts, it’s fine. We don’t have to get married, it’s okay.” He places a hand on her cheek. 

“No, I just...ever since my parents got divorced, my stance on marriage has changed a little. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that-“ 

“It’s okay, Betts.” He reassures her. “We have a life together. That’s enough. Love isn’t measured by a piece of paper.” 

“Is it more than a piece of paper to you?” She questions, softly. Like she can see right through him, as always. Maybe he had always viewed marriage as something like a promise or a celebration of love, his parents had been together forever so he’d always been a bit romantic, always been marvelled at that side of domesticity, the rings, the vows, the love in a promise. And Betty had been just like that too once, when she was younger, perhaps a little more naive and he supposes that seeing her parents fall apart had changed things for her. 

He breathes out a laugh. “Maybe.” He shrugs. It’s not a maybe. He’d always looked at it as a promise but he still stands by his statement, in the long run, they have a life together, they don’t have to get married. If they do, one day, if she’s convinced, then it’d be nice. But they don’t have to do it and he doesn’t want her to feel they have to simply because of him. “But we have time to talk about this, Betts. Come on, let’s dance.” He stands up, offering his hand. 

“This conversation is not finished.” She tells him firmly and he smiles, kissing her lips, in a lingering kiss. 

They dance together, the slow along from before changing to something a little more upbeat, their friends joining them, allowing them both to forget about the topic that had come up. As he’d said once, all in its due time. 

•

He dreams they’re having a boy. 

In his dream, they’re by a beach somewhere, Betty’s in his arms with the biggest smile on her face and their son is probably two or three,playing and laughing and smiling up at them and he’s beautiful and Jughead loves him too much, in way he can’t describe, even in a dream. 

When he wakes, Betty’s asleep, curled up against him, her bump in between them and the image of their child doesn’t leave his mind. Their baby could very well be a boy. He just hopes he takes after his mother, not just her looks but her strength. He hopes that he learns kindness from them, he hopes they can shape him to become whoever he wants to be but with enough humanity and love for that person to be good. 

“You’re awake.” Betty mumbles, eyes still shut even as she snuggles against him. 

He smiles softly. “I had the best dream.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”

“Tell me.” She murmurs and he places a tender kiss to her head, a hand on her bump.

“We were at the beach with our baby.” He tells her quietly. “A boy.” 

His words bring a smile to her face. “A boy?” 

“Mmh.” He caresses her hair, more in love with her than he thought he ever could be. “He’s a handful.” 

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from your son.” Betty teases him. “I can already picture this apartment when he’s old enough to walk and talk.” 

He laughs. “Or when he’s a teenager.”

“He’s gonna be as dramatic as you, Jug.” She smirks up at him. He rolls his eyes but his smile betrays him as he presses his lips to hers. “Today’s the big day.” He murmurs softly and she smiles. “Can’t wait to see who’s winning the bet.” 

She laughs and he might just love her more than he’s ever loved. In this very moment, in the quiet moments, when life slows and it’s just what matters that’s left. Betty in his arms, smile on her lips and all the love he can give her. 

•

The faces of their friends, expectantly, as they grin at them, ready to tarnish some people’s wallets and fill others, Jughead thinks that whatever he was meant to do with his life, he’s pretty sure he’s made every right decision. Their friends, their family, loving her, every decision, every moment had led him to this moment in his life. To the pockets of laughter and joy, to the tears and fears that sometimes crawled up to him and to his heart, filled with love for what was to come and for what he has now. 

Per Betty’s idea, they had Jell-O shots to be revealed with the color they had chosen for the sex of their baby. As opposed to the tradicional blue/pink, which Veronica assured them was immensely boring, they decided that for them red would be for a boy and green would be for a girl. With the Jell-O shots ready, reminding them both a little too much of college, their friends eagerly waiting for the color to be revealed, torturing them is a joy. 

“Just do it!” Cheryl yells. They laugh, Cheryl’s impatience pouring out as always, amusing them. “I swear to god, I’m dying.”

“Don’t swear to something you don’t believe in, Cher.” Jughead grins at their friend and she promptly flips him off. 

“Guys, you’re stalling.” Archie whines. 

“Alright! Are you ready?” 

“We are! We have been ready for fifteen minutes, you heathens!” Veronica rolls her eyes. 

“If you don’t quit the attitude, we might just keep you guessing till he’s born!” Jughead bites back not even realising his mistake until everyone starts shouting at them. 

“It‘s a boy?!” 

“A boy?!” 

Betty’s staring at him, taunting him because of course he’d be the one to spoil the grand reveal. Veronica launches herself at the Jell-O shots, lifting the cloth over it and throwing it somewhere. “It’s a fucking boy! Fuck no!” 

The celebratory yells from everyone on the winning side ring throughout the apartment. Cheering as they all reach for the Jell-O shots. As they all settle down, laughing at themselves, Jughead places his arm around Betty, grinning from ear to ear. 

“V, Kevin, you’re losers, bitches!” Cheryl calls out with a smirk on her face. “I love winning!” 

“Fuckers.” Veronica mutters. “At least it’s for a cause.” 

“Losing a bet is a good cause?” Jughead snorts. Their friends all look at each other, with smiles on their faces. “What are you plotting?” 

“Jesus! Why do you think it’s bad?” Toni rolls her eyes. “We decided that as dumb as this bet was because we’re happy and excited no matter what, we wanted to put it to good use.” She grins, as Betty and Jughead stare a little confused. 

“There was too much money for something as trivial as gender, so we decided to set up a little college fund for your baby. Obviously, it’s not a lot but it’s something that can give you guys a head start. Even though, you are a bestselling author.” Veronica explain, laughing softly. “We figured if you didn’t want the money, you could donate it, if that would be something you’d want to do. Just do something good and not let this be just a stupid a bet.” 

Beside Jughead, Betty starts tearing up, and he chuckles, placing a delicate kiss to the side of her head. “Thank you, guys. It means a lot that you put so much thought into this.” Jughead tells them, earnestly. “Right, Betts?” He smiles, turning his head to look at her. 

She nods. “Sorry, this is making me emotional, cause you just said college.” Their friends let out a hearty laugh, while Jughead gazes at her, lovingly, a sense of love that has only been growing deeper every day. “But thank you. You’re the best. We’re very lucky to have you which made our decision a whole of a mess, honestly.” 

“Your decision?” Kevin questions. 

“Godparents.” Betty smiles softly. “We have given it a lot of thought, honestly.” 

“No matter what, you’re all honorary godparents.” Jughead mentions. Betty glances at him, nodding her head as if telling him to keep going and let them known their decision. “Ronnie,” His lips stretch into a smile as his eyes find hers. “We want you to be the baby’s godmother. I think both Betty and I can agree, you gave me a big push to confront my feelings for her and that got us here today, so...” 

Veronica goes silent, an audible gasp sounds through the quiet room and she smiles. A genuine smile, full of heart and gratitude and a gentleness that sometimes hidden within her vivacious way of walking through life. It could’ve been anyone, from their chosen family, but in the event of them ever being hit with a tragedy, they’d want Veronica to raise their baby, they’d trust her with their everything in a heartbeat. They knew that she’d be the kindest, fiercest person for the job. 

And then for the godfather. Kevin would’ve been an excellent choice. They’d trust any of them with something as big as this, but they got to thinking about Archie and how long they’d been in each other’s life. Ever since they were kids, they’d been the three musketeers, even when Betty and Jughead sat under a tree, reading, and Archie kicked a ball around the yard. They’ve all significantly changed since they met at Riverdale Elementary, but their friendship was still as fierce as little Betty Cooper shoving a bully for picking on Jughead and threatening him. Archie had been there from the very beginning and even the beginning of them, together, as stupidly as they tried to deny it. This kid would have Archie spellbound, they were certain of it, and they knew the lengths Archie would go to to protect and to love him. 

“As for godfather...” Betty smiles. “Arch?” 

His eyes widen. “Me?” He mumbles. “Guys, I...are you sure?” 

Jughead nods. “We’re sure.” He tells him firmly. 

“I don’t know what to say...that’s...a lot.” Unexpectedly, in a true teddybear Archie, marshmallow way, he starts tearing up. “I swear I’ll do my best.” 

“We know you will, Arch.” Betty smiles. “And Kev, you’re obviously the gay godfather, no matter what!” 

“Obviously!” Kevin grins. “Can’t wait for this kid to pop out.” 

Jughead pulls Betty close, grinning. “Can’t wait for the chaos.”

She looks at him and, somehow he can see it all in her eyes, every ounce of love as she murmurs that she can’t wait either, that this means more than anything ever will. 

•

Betty is done with the book. It’d been a very long couple of years, since the first one, and now that she’s almost done with the second one, it feels as much of a shift in her life, a new chapter, in harmony with what is happening in a few months, as finishing her first book had been. It feels as much of an ending as it does a beginning. Now the book would belong to someone else and a part of her would live in someone’s book shelf forever, to be touched by others, read by real people in their real houses, her words, so intimately written between the page and her mind, now off to a new journey in other’s lives. 

Her days lately had been busy with meetings and back and forth emails between her and her editor, doctor’s appointments, a sudden need to change words on specific pages when it was late at night. And she’d sit at the computer and feel a kick in her stomach, then Jughead would show up, leaning against the doorframe of the office. 

“I know you think changing a word will change everything but it’s lonely without you two in bed.” He’d say and she’d laugh, heart fluttering at the thought of the third little person in the room, inside her. “You need sleep, Betts.” She’d save the document and shut it down and take his hand. She found that words could never be enough for what he is to her. 

Today had been a good day, mostly because the final details for the book were coming together nicely and because she was coming home today. He’d been a flustered mess of nerves with every passing month, now worrying about her being out of the house. She could only laugh and be thankful for him, she never imagined seeing him like this. But here they are. 

As she turns her key in the door, she finds the house to be a bit quiet. The TV isn’t on. There’s no music playing and usually by this time, when he got home and she didn’t, he’d be making dinner, something delicious floating through the air, awakening her stomach. But it’s quiet. 

Then she hears it. A groan of frustration coming from what used to be his bedroom, now the baby’s room, still empty, or should she say, finally empty, now that they had cleared it up. 

Taking her shoes off, setting her bag down, she makes her way down the hall to where he is. “Jug?” She calls out. The door open and Jughead is sat on the floor surrounded by pieces of wood, which Betty can only guess, means some of the furniture they ordered had arrived. 

“Fuck, you’re home.” He curses, standing on his feet. He looks stressed, frustrated. 

“Hey.” She furrows her brows, stepping towards him. 

“I wanted to...fuck me...” He groans, running a hand through his hair. 

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” She questions, grabbing his face so he’s looking at her. 

He gestures vaguely at the wooden mess at their feet. “The crib arrived. I wanted to- I don’t know, surprise you, but I can’t build it cause apparently I’m fucking useless!” 

“Jug...” She smiles softly. “It’s okay.” 

“No, it’s not! I should be able to do this...for our son, I-“ It’s clear that it’s a little more than a crib, that it’s deeper because there’s tears in his eyes. But she holds back her own, caressing his face. 

“It’s okay.” She tells him, smiling softly. “You don’t have to do it alone. We’re a team, remember?” Pulling him, closer, she rests her forehead on his, closing her eyes. She feels him relax against her. 

“Yeah.” He chokes out. “We’re a team.” 

She kisses his lips, smiling and then pulls back to look at him. “Where’s the instructions?” 

After an hour, they’ve put the crib together and it sits alone in the middle of the empty room soon to be something whole. They sit with their backs against the wall, facing it, a little tired, but happy. She leans her head on his shoulder, he looks a little calmer. 

“You were right.” He murmurs. 

“What?” 

“The light looks nice in this room.” 

“You think so?” 

He smiles softly. “I like this room.” 

She gazes up at him, before pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “I like this room too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh it has been so long since I updated this fic but here ya have it, fellow Jughead lovers ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Tell me what you think!!


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